


The Bear and the Lost Soul

by Adder24



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: F/M, Guardian Angels, Major Original Character(s), Original Character(s), relic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2018-10-29 02:36:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 26,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10844721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adder24/pseuds/Adder24
Summary: Life has never been an easy ride for Alice but with the loss of her Hero, life has become increasingly harder. Alice is lost, She has reached her limit and doesn't know where to turn but while she rants at the world, someone is listening and offers his help.





	1. Lost

Life is never an easy ride. Life can hurt you, it can rip the carpet out from under your feet and send you crashing to the ground. It can break a person, it can lead them down the wrong path and make them lose their way. Life was never meant to be simple but whatever it threw at someone, it would either make them stronger or it would destroy them, a choice that would lay squarely in the hands of the beholder. Get up and keep fighting or stay down and let life win.

Alice was no stranger to life’s struggles, since the age of seventeen she had fought everything that life could throw at her. Loss, abuse, rejection, pain and anguish. Anything that life could throw at her, she was the one who would bear the brunt. She could hold her own and fight back but each fight would get harder and harder. It was becoming exhausting to keep picking herself up and fighting back, she felt alone, she felt there was no one to support her, to help her out of the dark depths of her mind.

Every day for this five foot five, short blonde haired woman, was a fight. The once happy and vivid blue eyes were fading into a cold emotionless stare with every passing day, but she still fought, still clung onto hope that something would change. 

It didn’t.

When her grandfather passed away, it threw Alice into a tail spin. The person who was always there for her, regardless, was gone and even though she had her family around her to support her, comfort her and help her mourn, it didn’t help. 

She had to escape, she had to clear her mind and gather her thoughts, try and pull herself together without him being there but everywhere she went reminded her of him and the fact he was now gone. Nothing helped numb the pain, the things she once enjoyed, she no longer took pleasure from, she couldn’t focus, she couldn’t make sense of the world she was living in or why her grandfather had to die, why he was taken when there were other people living in the world who were less deserving of a life.

These thoughts kept spinning round her head, till one night the once strong woman, snapped. Life had taken everything from her. Her confidence, self respect, love, ambitions, dreams and now the hero she grew up wishing to become. She could handle everything….everything but that.

A thunderstorm lurked over manhattan on a warm June night. It started to rain heavily as lightening danced round the city and the thunder rumbled overhead. People ran for shelter, others unfolded umbrellas and continued to walk but Alice, Alice didn’t care. She walked out onto the streets in just a t-shirt and shorts. She wore a camouflage backpack that had her Longboard strapped to the back and a red bandanna tied round her head. She walked through the pouring rain to 34 Penn street station and then grabbed a subway train towards Queens. 

She stood quietly as the train made it’s way along it’s route before getting off at the top she needed and then proceeded to head towards queensboro park. She unstrapped the longboard from her back and started to kick, push her way along the quiet streets of queens. The rain continued to beat down heavily, the thunder and lightning made their presence felt around the city but Alice wasn’t phased. She didn’t care that she was quickly getting soaked to the bone or that the lightning cracked dangerously nearby, she just wanted some form of peace from the madness.

She took a right onto Vernon Boulevard and continued for another hundred and fifty yards before turning into queensboro park. It was empty, the street lights provided a warm glow as the rain continued to fall. Alice started to make her way down to the front where she could overlook the city and gaze at the Queensboro bridge that loomed over the river. She wasn’t paying attention to where she was going, she was in autopilot, until suddenly her board stopped and Alice was sent flying, she skidded along the pavement, grazing her legs and arms. 

After a few seconds she managed to get herself onto all fours, gasping for breath as the impact of the crash knocked the air out of her lungs. Once she regained her breath, she slowly picked herself up and stood dejected as the storm continued over head. She hung her head and let the rain wash over her, masking her tears as she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing her fringe back as she looked towards the heavens, watching the light show that mother nature put on overhead.

“I have nothing left!” She screamed, clenching her fists tightly “You have taken EVERYTHING from me...EVERYTHING and I am left with nothing! And yet I fight and I fight and I fight! Every day is a damn fight, I give everything I got and you still take from me!”

Alice paused for breath as the thunder started to get louder and the lightening became more frantic.

“What the hell do I need to do to get this to stop?! Have faith?! Have faith in a god that just fucks me over all the time?!” She snarled “A god that doesn’t care, a god that makes me go through hell for pleasure...Do you get a sick kick out of watching me suffer?! Well I’m glad you do but I have suffered enough…..and I’m tired. I don’t want to fight anymore”

Alice dropped to the floor as she started to sob, holding her head in her hands, trying to block out the world around her. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts, she wanted to let them out without anyone around to judge but fate, it seemed, had other ideas. She felt a hand gently grip her shoulder, causing her to turn her head sharply and look at the person that was now crouched down next to her, holding her longboard. A guy with salt and pepper hair, kind eyes and rugged features. He was wearing a long black coat that had a red lining, a plain black tee shirt and black jeans.

“You don’t have to fight life on your own” He said softly  
“I got no choice… everything has been taken from me”  
“Not everything…”

He shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders in an attempt to keep her warm and hold off the driving rain. Normally Alice would fight or protest to a stranger helping her but she had no fight left in her. She was cold, hungry and tired.

“Let’s get you out of the rain. There’s a cafe nearby, let me buy you something to eat and drink. You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to okay?”

Alice nodded her head. She didn’t know this man but she strangely felt as though they had met each other once before, like he was an old friend. He held out his hand, she gently took it as he lifted her to her feet and started to walk her out of the park. The rain and the thunder had started to ease as they walked towards the cafe nearby. They didn’t speak to each other, she felt he had heard enough from when she ranted at the sky moments ago but she didn’t feel awkward around him, she didn’t feel uneasy or on edge, instead she felt comfortable around him, a warmth that invited her to just open up her heart to him and tell him everything. This was something she had not felt in a while and she didn’t know why. It might have something to do with the fact that he was there, right when she needed someone to tell her that everything would be okay.

He ushered her into the cafe and allowed her to choose an empty booth to sit in. She sat near the window, watching the rain trickle down the window, blurring mostly everything that she could see. He got her attention by passing her a menu and giving her a slight smile.

“Have anything you want. It’s on me” He said softly

She smiled as she took the menu and started to scan through the specials, not much took her eye but she was hungry and her body desperately needed something. The classic beefburger and chips will suffice.

“Burger and chips will do” She replied as she handed him the menu “And a hot chocolate if you don’t mind me having one?”  
“Like I said. Anything you want”

She smiled politely and returned to looking out the window as he put in the order with the waitress. She sighed deeply and watched the world around her carry on. Something she found surreal, strange. The fact the world carries on around you will your own little world comes to a stop and slowly starts to crumble. A sobering point, a truth that was all too real and painful. The world doesn’t stop, life doesn’t stop because someone is missing. It keeps turning.

She took a deep breath and looked at the man sitting across from her, he was looking out the window, watching the world pass them by. He didn’t say or do anything but for some reason Alice felt a strong urge to tell him. Bare her soul to him.

“I lost my grandfather” She said sadly.  
“I’m sorry” He replied as he slowly turned to look at her.  
“No matter what you did in life….he never judged, he always gave you the benefit of the doubt because he always saw good in everyone. Small achievements were big achievements and he always encouraged, never detoured. He was my hero you know? And he stood by me through everything. Now that he’s gone-”  
“You feel lost”

Alice nodded her head and swallowed back the tears. The pain was still raw.

“When you fight life, every day, it gets exhausting….I had something to fight for when he was alive, now I got nothing. No purpose, no reason to keep strong. Everything I had has been taken from me and it’s has become a struggle to wake up every day and carry on without him”

She wiped the tears with her sleeve as she tried hard to not breakdown in front of him but she was struggling and he could see it, he had seen it many times before. The tortured souls that tried desperately to try and make sense of life and not always getting the answer they sought after. Hope was all they had and once that was gone… He took a deep breath, reached across the table and gently held her hand.

“You’re stronger than you think” He said softly as her eyes met his “I know it’s hard now but it will get easier, the pain will ease and it will hurt less and instead of remembering his passing, you’ll remember how he lived and the things he taught you. Hold onto that and let him carry you out of the darkness”  
“How do you know all this?” She asked while she choked back tears  
“Experience”

She wiped her eyes and chuckled a little which raised a smile from him. The waitress brought over their meals and placed them down on the table. Alice smiled and then tucked into her burger. It had been a while since she had a decent meal, she had lost her appetite, grief seemed to have had that effect but for the first time in over a week, she welcomed the sight of food and she was actually enjoying it.

They spoke during their meal, he asked the question and she answered. She told him she was a bounty hunter, a career she took up when she moved to New York four years ago. She told him she originated from England but moved to the states when she was eleven. They lived in the state of vermont in a small town called New London which she found Ironic. She told him everything he wanted to know, including the hard times, the abusive relationship she was in and when her grandfather got ill. She didn’t know why she was telling a complete stranger her life story but she did feel strangely comfortable around him. He listened and he didn’t judge.

They finished off their meal and devoured dessert. Alice was on her second cup of hot chocolate and he was on his second cup of coffee. She mentioned to him that she was getting tired and wrapped his jacket around herself while she snuggled down, he asked for the bill and when he looked at her again, she was fast asleep. When the waitress came over he paid the bill and then went round to Alice, carefully scooping her up in his arms and lifting her out of the booth. He walked towards the door of the cafe, pushed it open with his foot and stepped out onto the street.

“You don’t know who I am kid...but you’re soon going to”

He smiled down at her and then as a breeze travelled down the street, trailing leaves in it’s wake, they were gone.


	2. Who are you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After her meltdown the night before, Alice is trying to pull her life together. With some encouragement from her close friend, she manages to leave her apartment and makes the most of the day, as well as managing to bump into an old friend. However one thing still played on her mind, who was the man who found her and supported and would their paths ever cross again?

Alice woke up in her room, the morning light seeping in through the windows and cascading over her face. She was still fully clothed and was laying on top of the bed, the duvet wrapped loosely around her. She had no idea how she ended up back in her apartment, she remembered falling asleep in a cafe, after having a meal with a man who was happy to listen to her tales of woe. She didn’t tell him where she lived, so he couldn’t have brought her home, unless he got some help.

She rubbed her eyes and reached for her phone. She looked at her screen and noticed it was ten to ten in the morning, she groaned and threw herself back onto the bed. Thankfully she wasn’t due back at work for another week but it was another day she had to face, another day of emptiness and just existing within the world, that was until her phone buzzed into action, she looked at her screen again and noticed it was Lauren who was calling her. She was a good friend and a work colleague, as well as a fellow brit and there was no denying that she worried.

“Hey Lauren” Alice answered  
“What have you got planned this afternoon? Don’t tell me you’ll be cooped up indoors binging on one of your shows that ended years ago” Lauren asked  
“Actually I was going to watch a few of my films”  
“Well not anymore. You have a meeting at one, in central park”  
“... But I’m off “  
“It’s a meeting with me… call it a lunch date”  
“Lauren-”  
“Come on. It’ll do you some good and if you don’t show I’m coming round and I’m knocking down that door”  
“Alright...I’ll make sure my ass is out of this apartment and in central park by one!”  
“Good and I’ll be paying for lunch so no moaning okay?”  
“Okay”  
“I’ll see you later”

Lauren hung up the phone, Alice sighed and ran her hand through her hair, it was hard most days for Alice to summon the energy to even get out of bed, let alone walk down to central park but Alice knew Lauren very well and if she said she’d come down and kick the door down, she’d come down and kick the door down. It might have been seen as harsh but even though Alice hated Laurens methods, she appreciated why she was harsh, she was the only one who seemed to get her motivated when she was having a low such as this.  
She shuffled her way out of bed and headed to the bathroom, stripping herself of her clothing before stepping into the shower and letting the warm running water wash over her, allowing her to think of the events that had unfolded the night before, the break down she had in queensboro park and the man that came to her aide, took her someplace warm, bought her dinner and listened to her as she poured her heart out. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders but at the same time she felt guilty for passing out on him. She never got his name or a number and the chances of meeting him again, in a city like New York was remote at best but if she was ever lucky enough to meet him again, she knew she would be able to pick him out in a crowd. His piercing blue eyes were distinctive and eye catching and he had a warm, distinctive smile that seemingly invited you in. She smiled a little as she pictured him in her mind's eye, yes she only met him once but she strangely felt like she had known him much longer than just a few short hours.

She stepped out of the shower, dried herself down and pulled on some clean clothes, considering it was looking hot outside, she pulled on her Urban camouflage shorts and her New York Jets jersey along with her Black hi-top trainers and infamous Red Bandanna before quickly whipping up an omelette for breakfast with some toast and a mug of tea whilst reading up on yesterday's paper, paying attention to the headlines in case something was going to come up in her work but it seemed even New York was acting strangely quiet in the crime department, the only time it was ever this quiet was when the infamous man in the suit patrolled the streets.

Two hours later and Alice was up in central park, sitting on a bench at the Bethesda fountain, waiting for Lauren, whom she knew had a habit of running late, one quick look of the watch and she noticed that Lauren was already five minutes late. Alice chuckled and then she noticed a woman with long dark blonde hair walking towards her, wearing a grey blazer, a white blouse and knee length skirt with black high heels.

“Alice” She called  
“Lauren! Must be a record, you’re only five minutes late”  
“Ha ha, I was getting your dinner actually.” Lauren responded as she sat down next to Alice, handing her something that was wrapped neatly in greaseproof paper.  
“What is it?” Alice asked  
“Philly steak sandwich with extra cheese, just how you like it”  
“And a bit of salad?”  
“And a bit of Salad too”

Alice smiled and gently nudged her with her shoulder before tucking into the sandwich, savouring every mouthful and enjoying being with good company, even if they weren’t saying anything to each other because they were too busy stuffing their faces.

“Hey… Lauren, did you ever get saved by the infamous man in the suit?” Alice asked between mouthfuls  
“Nope. Don’t recall my life ever being in danger, however I DID hear he was a bit dishy. Wonder what happened to him” Lauren replied as she polished off her sub  
“No Idea….he just vanished by the sounds of things. Shame, could have used a guy like him to help me with some cases”  
“Oh come on. Like the Viper needs a man to help her, you’re doing fine on your own”  
“You sure?”  
“Alice….You have a reputation, if anyone mentions, the Viper, it sends the fear of god into those trying to keep their heads down. So trust me, you don’t need a man in a suit to help you, you’re doing fine.”

Alice smiled as Lauren gently patted her shoulder and then scrunched up her disused paper.

“Now...what are you going to do for the rest of the day?” She asked  
“Maybe go home and binge game on the Playstation”  
“On a day like this?! Alice….come on, why don’t you take a walk round here, get some fresh air. You got your music on you”  
“Loz-”  
“You know I’m right. Besides you’d get some colour to your cheeks AND you’d feel better for it”  
“Alright…..you have a point”  
“Exactly! Now...I better get back to the office. If you need me, call me okay? I’m always here for you Alice, you know that right?”  
“Yeah….Thanks Lauren”

Lauren smiled at Alice and pulled her in for a cuddle before getting up from the bench to make her way back to the office. She waved at Alice and disappeared within the crowd, leaving Alice sitting at the fountain by herself. She took a deep breath, put in her earphones and played the next song that came up on shuffle. Once the song got going Alice got up and took up on Lauren’s advice, she went for a walk, she didn’t have a route or a plan, she just went in whichever direction she fancied and after twenty minutes of wandering aimlessly she found herself at the chess and checkers house, a smile crept onto her face as she remembered her grandfather taking her to New york when they first arrived in the states and he brought her here to teach her how to play Chess. She was quite good at it but as she got older she lost interest and applied herself to other things. She would occasionally come down with her grandfather but as he got ill….the visits became less and less.

She took a deep breath as the good memories started to flood back and then headed inside the house, grabbed herself some chess pieces and then sat at one of the tables outside, carefully setting up the pieces. She smiled when it was all setup and then moved her first piece up the board, the standard pawn.

“You don’t always have to start with that piece” Came a monotone voice

Alice smiled, she had heard that voice many times before. She quickly looked over her shoulder to see a man standing behind her, wearing a three piece dark tweed suit, Black rimmed glasses and a black trilby hat.

“Harold! Long time no see!”  
“Same to you. May I?”  
“Of course”

Alice smiled as he hobbled round to the empty seat and took his place at the table, analysing the pieces before moving out the black knight.

“See...you don’t always have to start with the pawn”  
“I knew that...you ever thought I could be luring you in?” Alice asked with a smile perched upon her lips as she moved another piece

Harold smiled back and moved another piece up the board, this time it was one of his pawns, up the far end of the table.

“I take all these things into perspective, you should know that”  
“Oh I do but...they didn’t call me the viper for nothing” She chuckled as she moved another pawn

They played for chess for an hour, both of them chatting about the good old days and bringing up old memories of things they remembered doing together, mainly Alice when she lost her temper, every time Harold managed to beat her and how he would calm her down by buying her an Ice cream from one of the nearby vendors, even at the age of eighteen he would still get up and buy her an Ice cream.

“You could eat your weight in Ice cream” Harold chuckled as six of his pieces remained on the board  
“Still can and I tell you Harold, you beat me now, I will be requesting you buy me at least three”

Harold smirked, lifted up his queen and put Alice’s king into checkmate.

“How-”  
“That would be telling. Looks like I’m buying then?”  
“Yep….You know the drill”

He smiled, got up and headed to the Vendor, ordering the ice cream before coming back to Alice who was setting the pieces up again. He carefully pushed the wrapped ice lollies towards Alice and gently placed his hand over hers, causing Alice to look at him with some confusion.

“I heard….” He said softly as he gave her hand a squeeze. “How are you coping?”  
“Not good, it’s like I’ve lost the lynch pin to my world you know? I feel lost.” She replied sadly as she opened one of the packets.  
“It takes time...You’re grieving and trying to understand your loss and right now it seems impossible to move on but the pain will ease and it will slowly start to get easier. Are you getting any grief counselling or help?” He asked softly  
“No….Not at the moment, I’m just battling through every waking day at the moment, plus it’s a bit out of my budget at the moment…..”  
“Well let me help you”  
“Harold-”  
“Your grandfather would want you to smile again. He won’t want you to be sad over him and, may I add, If he knew I didn’t help you, he’d make me suffer at chess. So please….accept my help, I know a good counsellor.”  
“... Alright if you insist… but only because I know my grandad could trounce you in under twenty minutes”

Harold smiled and handed her a business card with a name on it, Iris Campbell.

“I can assure you she is very sympathetic”  
“Speaking from experience Harold?”  
“You could say that” He responded a little sad, something Alice picked up on but didn’t deem it appropriate to question, instead she felt he needed an appropriate distraction.  
“Want another round?” She asked  
“Why not?”

They spent hours in each other's company, talking and exchanging tales of long ago, while catching up and finding out what the other had been up to. Harold wasn’t surprised that Alice took up a job as a bounty hunter, he put it down to all the superhero movies she watched and the comics that she read, although he was surprised their paths hadn’t crossed sooner, given the nature of her job and how often she would find herself in some form of trouble. Alice however was a little surprised that Harold had taken up a job in the art museum, she saw him more as a professor of science than an art nerd but that assumption just made Harold chuckle.

Alice looked at her watch and was surprised by the time.  
“Wow….it’s seven o'clock, I best get heading back and cook some dinner.”  
“Would you like a ride home?” Harold asked  
“Nah you’re alright Harold, it’s only a few stops on the subway, I’ll be fine”  
“Are you sure?”  
“I’m sure...I’ve handled worse, trust me”

Alice gave Harold a reassuring smile and then a cuddle, thanking him for his time which Harold reciprocated before handing her a piece of paper with his number on it.

“If you ever need to talk...I’m on the other end of the phone”  
“Thanks Harold”  
“You’re always welcome. Same time next week?”  
“Maybe? Depends on the work”

Harold smiled and made his way as Alice went in the opposite direction, making her way to the subway station so she could make her way home. In all honesty she could just walk home but it was far too warm to be walking half an hour through busy streets and slow moving traffic. She stood on the platform waiting for the train and when it arrived she stepped on board and sat quietly at one end of the carriage, avoiding the small gang that was huddled at the other end. She put in her earphones and continued to listen to her music. She only had two stops, before she got off and made her way home, oblivious to the fact she was being followed by the gang on the subway.

She turned off down a quiet side street to get her apartment but she was suddenly jumped by a young tall, caucasian, skinny man who was wearing a black vest and white pair of shorts, he held a knife to Alice’s throat and he was soon joined by his other friends who surrounded Alice, staring at her menacingly.

“Give me your phone and your wallet, and you won't get cut” The man growled  
“Are you threatening me?” Alice asked, slightly perplexed   
“Hand them over!” he snapped.  
“But I don’t want to”  
“BITCH I WILL SLIT YOUR THROAT! I AIN’T EVEN PLAYING!”

Alice started to root around in her pockets for her phone and wallet before handing them over to him. He snatched them from her hands, removed the knife and turned to run but as he did, he was met with a fist meeting his face. Alice jumped and then she saw him, the man from yesterday, standing in front of her while the rest of the gang backed off and made a run for it, disappearing in the opposite direction. He then looked down at the guy he had knocked out and picked up Alice’s phone and wallet before handing them back to her

“We meet again” He said with a smile

Alice gently took her things from him, her eyes wide in stunned silence, she didn’t think their paths would cross again this quickly.

“Are you okay?” He asked softly  
“Erm… yeah…yeah I’m fine, sorry it’s the shock”  
“It’s okay. Let me walk you back to your apartment”  
“How do you know where I live?” Alice asked a little confused  
“I don’t….I was just assuming that was where you was going. It’s okay I am not after anything, just want to make sure you get home safe. Is that okay?”

Alice nodded as she put her phone and wallet back into her pockets and made her way back to the apartment, The man walking alongside her, keeping his eyes peeled in case the gang came back for another go. Thankfully they were nowhere to be seen as Alice approached the door to get into her apartment. She reached for her keys and put them into the lock, turning it till the door clicked open. She pushed the door open and then looked at the man.

“Look I’m sorry I fell asleep on you last night” She said  
“I’m not going to judge. You sound like you have had a rough ride lately”  
“But I never got to say thanks”  
“You don’t have to”  
“I never even got your name”  
“Oh you have my name”

Alice blinked confused as he smiled back at her warmly

“What? You didn’t see the note I left you?” He asked  
“No. I woke up confused! How the hell did you know where I lived, let alone get in?”  
“Your wallet fell out of your pocket, I checked your driving license, drove you back home, got the maintenance man to let me into your apartment and then I left a note for you.”  
“Where?” She asked  
“Check your pillows” He replied as he started to walk away “Have a good evening Alice”

Alice blinked and then darted inside, running up the stairs till she reached her apartment door. She quickly unlocked the door and walked to her bedroom, going to her side of the bed first, flipping over the pillow but finding nothing, she went round to the other side, flipped over the pillow and there she found an envelope with a white feather placed neatly on top. She took the feather and inspected it, it wasn’t a goose feather from her pillow, it was bigger than that so she wasn’t sure where the feather came from. She then picked up the envelope and opened it, retrieving a letter enclosed within, she unfolded it and started to read what was written.

“It might seem difficult now but it will get better, I promise.  
I maybe a stranger now but you can call me Orson”


	3. The Midnight Guard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It had been days since Alice last saw Orson but she couldn't seem to get him off her mind, no matter what she does to distract herself. Her only solution is to hit the park at midnight but she soon learns, that even there she can't escape him or the dangers that constantly surround her.

It had been a few days since Alice last crossed paths with Orson, yet she couldn't get him off her mind. Questions started to circulate round her head, where did he come from? How did he find her again? How did he know she would be in trouble? Whoever he was he certainly made a lasting impression on her, so badly that she found herself doodling him on her notes when her mind started to drift or if she struggled to focus. Her doodles soon caught Lauren’s attention, who was adamant that Alice had a secret lover, despite Alice protesting and saying that the man she was drawing was just a fictional character but of course she knew he wasn’t. Whenever she was out bringing in felonies or those who missed their court cases, she found herself searching for him, looking for him in a crowd of people but he wasn’t around.

The mystery that shrouded round him was what kept drawing her thoughts back to him and it was beginning to drive her mad. She couldn’t even watch her favourite film without her thoughts drifting back to him and the questions that seemed to follow. Tonight was no exception. She was watching one of her superhero movies as a way to unwind after a busy day hunting. There was a quiet moment in the film which gave her mind chance to drift off and focus on Orson.

“Oh for gods sake!” She growled as she stopped the film and sat herself up.

She ran her fingers through her hair before getting up and going into the bedroom. She grabbed a pair of trainers and put them on her feet. There was only one way to get him off her mind, even if it was midnight. She pulled on her skeleton gloves, picked up her keys off the dresser, stuck in her music and made her way out of her apartment, grabbing her longboard on the way out before locking up and marching down the stairs.

Once outside she put her longboard down on the ground, thankfully it was a warm night, another reason why she was struggling to relax. She placed her foot on the board and made her way to central park, avoiding the busy crowds of times square. For Alice this was the only way that she could switch her mind off, by throwing herself into a situation that required her full concentration. It was her way of escape and it worked, she concentrated on not only trying to stay balanced but the music that was being blasted in her ears, the lyrics and the connection she had to those songs. They all had a connection in their own way.

As she made her way through the entrance on west 60th street, her music changed from the usual metal based rifts to something softer and calmer, it was a song called “All my days” and as the lyrics started to come across, Alice could feel a strong connection to the song, which made her smile and continue to push forward, enjoying the thrill of the pace the longboard picked up, despite doing central park many times before in the past, this run felt oddly refreshing. That was until the song got to the final hook and the lyrics caused Alice’s mind to wander which caused a lapse in concentration. Before she knew it her longboard had gone over a stone which caused the big chunky wheels to seize up and send Alice flying off the board...again.

She laid on the ground briefly, letting her mind play catch up, while her longboard slowly rolled away in the opposite direction before gently coming to a stop at some man’s feet. She groaned as she slowly pushed herself up off the ground and dusted herself down, she had grazed her arm from sliding on the path and got a few grazes on her legs, but other than that she was okay. She then turned in the opposite direction to grab her board but it had disappeared into the darkness. 

“Sake” She groaned

She was about to head into the darkness when she heard footsteps coming towards her, she quickly stepped back into the lit footpath, the attack from a few nights ago had put her on edge and she quickly raised her arms to defend herself watching the shadows.

“We have to stop meeting like this Alice” Came that oh so familiar husky voice.

Alice lowered her guard a little as she watched him emerge from the shadows, holding her longboard by the front axle. He was dressed casual this time, a Black tee, camo shorts and a pair of Black trainers. He smiled as he handed the longboard back to her. Alice was dumbfounded by his sudden appearance but at the same time pleased. A smile raised on her lips as she made eye contact with him and gently took the board from him.

“Guessing you can’t sleep?” he asked as he stood beside her  
“No….I don’t do well with heat” She replied, shielding him from the truth  
“Well that makes two of us” He chuckled

Alice smiled and started to walk, holding her longboard by her side as Orson walked alongside her, keeping her company. As they walked Alice thanked him for saving her from the gang of thugs that tried to steal her stuff, as well as letting him know that she found the note he had left her after his first encounter.

“So does that mean you know my name now?” He asked her playfully  
“Of course I do… Orson and I looked it up...your name means Bear or Bear cub” She replied  
“I’m impressed, you did your homework”  
“Yeah… I won’t lie, you have me intrigued… You show up out of nowhere, listen to my sob story, then take me home after I fell asleep in the cafe. You then save me from thugs and now we’re here a few days later, walking around central park. New York is a big place and we have bumped into each other three times in a matter of days.How are you doing this?”  
“You believe in fate right?” Orson asked as he walked beside her.  
“Well yeah, things happen for a reason, but this is some next level shit”

Orson tilted his head to one side and folded his arms across his chest as Alice spun round to face him.

“Explain” He stated

Alice smirked and gently placed her longboard down on the ground in front of her, resting her left foot on the top deck and rocking it back and forth, it was her way of calming herself when her anxiety wanted to rear it’s ugly head while she was out. Those who knew her well, noticed her calming methods and noticed when her anxiety levels started to raise and yet, despite him not saying anything, she had a strange feeling Orson knew them too as he relaxed his stance.

“How are you always in the right place at the right time?” She asked

Orson just smiled at her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Right place right time I guess” he replied as Alice rolled her eyes at him.   
“Well that maybe mister but I'm keeping my eyes on you” Alice warned as she prodded him in the chest. “How do I know you're not some weirdo stalker, setting me up?”  
“Well you tell me. You work in that line of work.”  
“Hey that’s different!”  
“You mean it's legal stalking”  
“....Oh you're funny”  
“I try” He replied sarcastically 

Alice frowned at him before a smile emerged onto her lips, she may not know him that much but it was nice to know he had a sense of humour, despite the fact he seemed to have a serious demeanor about him. 

“Alright...let's walk. I don’t mind the company and I don’t mind getting to know more about you, without my life being in danger or me bawling my eyes out because life is hard”  
“Or falling off your longboard?”  
“Yeah that too”

She picked up her longboard and tucked it under her arm as they walked alongside each other, Alice making sure to stick to the path that she would have took, which would have taken her to the Bethesda fountain,had she not fallen off her board. It was an area where she could sit silently and take a moment to gather her thoughts together but of course, the sudden appearance of Orson meant she wouldn't be able to do that tonight, not that she was complaining. 

“So..do you take alot of midnight walks?” Orson asked as they slowly walked   
“Yeah...my mind doesn't exactly shut down at night. So this is the only way I can silence it. Just walking through here, taking in the sounds of the night, helps soothes the soul you know?”

Orson nodded his head as he took in the sounds around him, the crickets chirping from the bushes, a small group of people in the distance chatting and listening to music, the cars rushing by as the city continued to breathe around them, and yet somehow, in this small segment of New York, a person could easily lose themselves and find a small portion of peace and serenity. He was respectful of that as they both walked in silence before they approached the grand terrace towards the Bethesda fountain, the lights illuminating the steps leading down and the spectacular arches underneath, while across the small pond, the Loeb boathouse was also illuminated, the lights reflecting and dancing in the ripples of the water. A smile creeped onto Alice’s lips as she walked towards the fountain before she sat down, leaning the longboard against the wall next to her as she looked out across the water. For Alice, there was something strangely magical about the place, especially at night when it was just her. She took a deep breath in before exhaling slowly, letting a calm wash over her as Orson sat down next to her.

“You asked me if I believed in fate. Well I do in my own way but I don’t see it as fate, I see it as life throwing you little lessons to learn or chances to take. So was your appearance, the week my grandfather passed away, fate? Potentially, yeah but I feel there might be other mysterious forces at work here, something supernatural.”  
“What makes you say that?” Orson asked  
“When I was young, my grandfather told me stories of myth and legend from all cultures. Tales of legendary beasts, spirits and angels. Stories that peaked my curiosity, wondering if they existed.”  
“So you became a believer of the supernatural elements of the world”  
“Oh yeah.I had an encounter when I was ten, I should have died, I was falling out of a tree, head first but I felt something physically grab me and turn me mid air and when I landed I was facing the other way and come away with a broken Elbow instead of a broken neck and to this day, I still believe I was saved by my Guardian Angel.”  
“So why exactly do you think supernatural forces are at work here?” Orson asked 

Alice took another deep breath and then placed her longboard down at her feet to gently rock side to side. This was something she found difficult to talk about, not everyone could believe in something that they couldn't see or have had a chance encounter with, let alone understand.

“Guardian Angels only ever appear in times of need or when your life's in danger. You show up on a stormy night, the night I need some sort of divine intervention to stop me doing something bloody stupid, the night, life got too much and out of the darkness come you. I don't know you and you don't know me but our paths keep crossing and it's always when I'm in some kind of trouble or if I need protecting. There was even a white feather under my pillow on the note you left me. So this isn't fate Orson this is something else, something more than fate and you being here right now leads me to think that something is about to happen to me.”

Orson was about to answer her when he heard something scuttling past, he quickly turned around and scanned the upper terrace. Something had caught his eye, the alarm bells in his head started to ring.

“Orson?”   
“You’re in trouble”  
“I knew-”  
“Don’t have time for told you so’s. Get to cover now!”

Alice took a gulp of air and nodded as Orson peered round the fountain to see a red dot sight flicker past him. He quickly ducked behind the fountain as a shot rang out and debris went flying past him. Alice quickly positioned her longboard and looked at Orson.

“Distraction” She replied as yet another shot whizzed by  
“Good plan”

Alice smiled and quickly pushed the longboard away. The red dot quickly flittered away from them and onto the longboard, giving Alice enough time to make a dash for the bushes but it didn’t take the gunman long to realise it was a distraction. Orson watched as the red dot quickly moved from the longboard To Alice running for cover. He growled and sprinted after Alice, as he drew level with her he pushed her back, just in time. A shot rang out, Alice watched as the bullet just nicked Orson’s side causing him to fall to the ground.

“RUN!” He snarled as he quickly glanced back at the gunman.

Alice quickly got to her feet as another shot rang out, the bullet hitting the floor at her feet, causing Alice to stumble backwards, she quickly regained her footing but it was short lived, another shot rang out, this time it hit her left arm, the impact caused Alice to go flying back towards the pond, her body hitting the water hard. 

Orson felt his heart jump as he watched Alice hit the water hard. He looked back at the terrace to see the gunman had made a run for it. He quickly pushed himself off the floor, wincing at the searing pain in his shoulder, that he quickly shook off as he ran towards the pond. By now Alice was struggling to keep her head above the water, she was quickly tiring as she fought the water back with one working arm. She was starting to choke, struggling to breathe as she kept swallowing the water before eventually running out of strength, her head going beneath the water one final time. 

Orson had just managed to get to the pond in time to see her go under the water, he quickly leapt into action and dived into the water, propelling himself towards Alice as she started to sink towards the bottom. He quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up to the water's surface. He then pulled her back to the edge of the pond, where he lifted her and himself out of the water. He then carefully laid her flat on the ground and felt for a pulse, it was faint and she wasn’t breathing.

“I won’t let you die” Orson growled

Orson checked to see if her airways were clear and then started to do chest compressions. He would do ten at a time before checking to see if she was breathing. She wasn’t. He did another ten and checked her airways again. Still not breathing.

“Come on!” He growled as he started another round of ten “Come on I promised to look after you!”

She still wasn’t breathing. Orson took a deep breath, he gently took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze.

“I didn’t want to have to do this”

He gently places her hand down her side and then places his hand in the middle of her chest. He took a deep breath in and then started to focus his energy, as his hand began to glow a pale blue, the light then quickly travelled through his veins, causing his whole arm to glow. He took another deep breath and as he began to exhale slowly, the light in his arm started to seep from his fingertips which was then absorbed by Alice’s body.

The light then started to disperse across her entire body. Orson gently lifted his hand from her chest and waited with baited breath to see if his trick had worked. After a few seconds, Alice’s eyes flew open and she started to cough up water. Orson quickly rolled her onto her side so she wouldn’t choke. She gasped for breath, Orson gently patted her back and then gently helped her to sit up.

“.....What just happened?” Alice asked between breaths  
“I saved your life”  
“....Oh…..I feel funny…”  
“That maybe the blood loss…”  
“Oh yey…”

Alice smiled a little before her vision became hazy, she reached up and gripped his shirt before blacking out.


	4. Blood loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice is losing blood after sustaining a gunshot wound to her arm, she is struggling to keep concious and it is left down to Orson to get Alice the medical attention she requires but there is one problem. He has been badly wounded as well, with the strength he has left he gets her to E.R but he is soon left battling for his life, leaving Alice in the dark, not knowing if he survived.

Orson stood in front of the entrance to the Emergency room holding Alice in his arms. He could see the doctors and nurses moving around inside, calling patients out to be seen and hopefully treated. It all seemed calm for the moment but things would soon change. Both he and Alice had got shot and while Alice was already out of it, Orson could feel that he too was also struggling to stay conscious. His legs were wobbling as he stumbled into the front entrance, getting the attention of the receptionist, her eyes widening in shock.

“Little help?” Orson managed before his left leg buckled under him.

Nurses rushed to him and eased him down on the ground, a couple gently took Alice from his arms and laid her on a trolley bed, while they tended to Orson, trying to stem the bleeding from his side but Orson was rapidly losing consciousness and as they wheeled Alice into resus to asses her, he had blacked out. 

Machines beeped, raised voices filled the room as doctors and nurses rushed around, trying to keep their patients alive. Alice was hooked up to to an IV of blood, Orson too as they laid on separate beds, side by side, while teams of doctors and nurses patched them up and monitored them. Slowly, after ten minutes of being laid out in resus, Alice started to open her eyes. The world for the moment was hazy and distorted, she turned her head and could make out Orson laying on the bed next to her, she squinted her eyes a little, trying to focus.

“Orson?” She says groggily

She reaches a hand out to him but as she does, a machine starts to beep rapidly as nurses started to rush round him, scrambling around for gauzes and bandages as one set of nurses worked on packing the bullet wound, while another set had started chest compressions, shouting out medical terminology that Alice didn’t understand but knew was bad. She too was then surrounded by a team of nurses, who started to wheel her bed out of the resus ward.

“ORSON!” She screamed, her hand still reaching out for him.

She could hear her heartbeat echoing in her head, it was thumping hard and fast. She started to panic as she quickly looked around, the lights above her quickly passing overhead as the nurses rushed her into another empty resus room but as soon as they started to hook her up to a heart monitor, Alice’s panic attack got worse.

“Ma’am, you need to remain calm” One Nurse said firmly  
“I can’t” Alice responded “He needs me”  
“He’s in good hands right now, you need to relax”  
“.....I feel funny” Alice replied  
“Ma’am?”  
“....The room is going fuzzy….”

The nurses around her quickly rushed to her side but that was when the world around Alice started to get blurry before eventually the darkness swarmed in and surrounded her, blocking out the light, blocking out sounds and smells. There was nothing but darkness and silence, an eerie yet peaceful state of mind, a chance for the body to reboot and recover. Soon the silence became interrupted as sound began to pour in. Machines humming around her, the sounds of the city outside, footsteps walking down the corridor and a breeze coming through a window. She felt the cool breeze on her skin which caused her to stir, her eyes flickering open to the hazy, dark world around her. She was no longer in resus, she had been moved onto a ward in a room by herself and as far as she could tell, there was no sign of Orson.  
She looked over at the window and stared at the city around the hospital. She had no clue if Orson was okay, He was on the bed next to her being revived before she was taken away from him, taken away while he was left to fight for his life and now she was here in this room by herself. She felt a tear roll down her cheek, this man that she hardly knew, put his life on the line for her, protected her, listened when she needed someone to listen and now there was a good chance he was gone.

“I’m sorry…..” She said softly as she choked back tears

She felt a breeze cut across her face, the blind in front of the window started to bang against the wall as the breeze, briefly picked up before quickly settling back down again.

“What are you sorry for?” Came a familiar voice.

Alice quickly rolled onto her back and noticed, at the foot of the bed was Orson, shrouded in darkness holding a drink in his hand and her Thor cuddly toy, that he held close to his chest. Her eyes widened in shock, he was hurt badly and here he was standing before her as if nothing had happened to him. She quickly sat herself up, forgetting about her arm which buckled under her weight and caused her to yelp in pain. Orson quickly placed the drink on the small bedside table, along with Thor and carefully tended to Alice, helping her sit up before propping her arm up on one of the pillows given to her.

“What are you...how did...I thought you died!”  
“You need to relax” Orson said calmly  
“How can I relax? I watched as doctors worked on you!”  
“Alice-”  
“You were dying Orson!”  
“Yes, I know but-”  
“But what?!”

Orson pointed at her heart monitor, her heart rate had increased dramatically. She took a deep breath and eased herself back as her mind started to overthink and go wild with thoughts. Was Orson an apparition? Did he die and was she seeing his ghost? Was this all a dream? She closed her eyes momentarily in a bid to calm the endless thoughts, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. Her heart rate was starting to come back down before she slowly opened her eyes and looked at Orson.

“I cried because I thought you was dead”  
“Well..I’m not dead”  
“Yeah….I noticed...Orson you was dying when they took me away and now you’re here…….in front of me, like nothing happened...and I’m laying here still recovering. What is going on? What are you not telling me?” 

Orson reached for her Thor cuddly toy and placed him under her arm before perching himself on the foot of her bed, figuring out how best to put what he was about to say to her. He knew what he was but to those like Alice, it was hard for them to understand and accept.

“When your grandfather told you tales of the supernatural world...what did he tell you?” Orson asked  
“That there was somethings that he believed in” Alice replied confused.  
“Can you remember what?”  
“Well he believed our family had a gift of being able to predict big events in the world...which is true because I have it…”  
“What else? “

Alice sat and thought for a moment. Her grandfather would always tell her stories of the supernatural. All kinds of myths and beasts that were written in ancient lore but when Alice had an accident at the age of ten, when she could have died, he told her he believed she had a Guardian Angel. Alice gulped hard and slowly looked at Orson, was he her Guardian Angel?

“No way….”She said slowly   
“What?”  
“You can't be…”  
“Can't be what?”  
“A living breathing Guardian Angel”  
“You could say that” Orson replied as he straightened her Blankets and made sure she was covered 

Alice just stared at him in a stunned silence. Ever since her accident, she grew intrigued about the tales of guardian angels and how they worked but never did she expect to find one, one that was in a physical form before her and to be fair, he was quite easy on the eye too. Orson smiled at her and gently took her hand, gently caressing the back of her hand, his fingers gently caressing and pressing particular spots on the skin.

“...What are you doing?” Alice Asked  
“Just Helping you relax, you need your rest Alice….you’re hurt”  
“You got hurt too…” She replied groggily as fatigue started to kick in  
“But the doctors and nurses did a good job patching me up”  
“So I have noticed”

Orson chuckles a little and continues to caress her hand, watching the door as a few nurses began their rounds, checking on patients and doing their observations. He looked back at Alice and could see her eyes were starting to get heavy as she battled sleep, keeping her eyes fixed on him, not wanting to lose sight of him again but she was struggling to stay awake and within moments her eyes had closed and she had fallen asleep. Orson smiled as he made sure she was covered and had her Thor bear tucked under her good arm. He then scanned the room for a pen and some paper, thankfully there was one on the clipboard next to the bed. He then grabbed a hand towel from off the side and wrote her a note, tucking it under her pillow carefully. She stirred momentarily, Orson soothed her back to sleep by gently stroking her fringe away from her face and then gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand

“Goodnight Alice” He said softly.

He quickly scanned the corridor for any passing nurses and then made his way out of her room, being careful to not be seen. He was not supposed to be there but he had to make sure that she was okay.

Rest was what Alice needed, she opened her eyes slowly, noting the darkness had gone and her room was filled with the morning light that seeped in through the blinds, she could feel her Thor bear had been tucked under her good arm and that the blankets had been wrapped around her to keep her warm. She then carefully sat herself up, rubbed her eyes and looked around the room, searching for Orson but it was evident he had long gone and Alice felt a small pang in her chest at his absence, she then looked over the other side and noticed the cup of hot chocolate left on the tray, that was now stone cold. She sighed and then heard a light knock on the door, she looked over and saw a young female doctor popping her head into the room. Slender face, black hair tied up in a ponytail while wearing a white shirt and black trousers, glasses perched on her nose as she strolled in with her clipboard.

“Oh, I see you’re awake” She said as she walked round to her bedside  
“Yeah….I’m awake” Alice replied  
“How do you feel?”  
“Sore….and a little tired”  
“That’s normal...we had to operate to remove the bullet that was lodged in your humerus bone as well as repair work to your bicep muscle. You will be required to rest your arm and wear a sling for at least six to eight weeks as well as attending a course of physio to help regain strength”  
“...Great” Alice responded dejectedly   
“I know… It sucks but it could have been a lot worse”  
“True...by the way do you know what happened to my friend who came in with me?” Alice asked

The Doctor looked at her, removed her glasses, folded them up and placed them into the top pocket of her shirt.

“The man that carried you in?” She asked softly  
“Yeah...I saw him last night, he was with me but I fell asleep and when I woke up he was gone, probably left to go home or something”

The Doctor sighed and gently held Alice’s hand, Alice could see there was a sadness in her eyes and she felt her breath hitch in her throat.  
“I don’t know how to put this Alice….we did everything we could for him but...he unfortunately didn’t make it...he died.”


	5. Guardian of Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orson is Dead, a fact Alice would need to live with for the rest of her life, thankfully her friend and collegue is on hand to try and help her through but as they settle down to watch a film and grab some food, there is an unexpected knock at the door and an unannounced vistor appears.

The news shocked her to her core. A man she hardly knew, saved her life. Twice. She never got to say thank you to him, she never got to express her gratitude or spend time with him getting to know him. Instead he died with her questioning his existence, his reasons for always being there and if there was an ulterior motive. He probably died, wondering if she trusted him and now it was too late to tell him that she did.

When she was released, Lauren picked her up and drove her home. The short drive back to her apartment was a quiet one, Alice had informed her what had transpired, about the man who died saving her life. She didn’t tell Lauren his name, just that he was in the right place at the right time. She didn’t feel the need to tell Lauren anything more and Lauren knew that she would tell her when she was ready, she wouldn’t force her but she also wouldn’t allow Alice to dwell on it either. As soon as they got back Lauren was doing little odd jobs for Alice, putting things away for her, doing the washing, helping her to tidy up and keeping her mind off things. It worked to a point but she knew it was playing in the back of Alice’s mind.

“Okay, now all the odd jobs are done, I think this calls for some entertainment” Lauren said as she put the cleaning cloths away “We are having a night in, we’re going to watch one of your films and order take out”  
“Thor” Alice managed as she looked at Lauren “Can we watch Thor…?”  
“We can watch Thor...I might not understand what’s going on in it but I don’t mind looking at Thor”

Alice smiled as Lauren sat down next to her and handed her an array of menus. Pizza menus, chinese menus, indian menus, virtually every cuisine possible was in menu form and Alice was slowly thumbing her way through them, trying to find something that would take her fancy, she really wanted fish and chips but New York was lacking in that department. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock at the door, she went to get up but Lauren shook her head and answered the door for her and after a minute or so, she came shuffling back with a grin plastered on her face.

“There’s a dishy man at the door for you”   
“Are you pulling my leg?” Alice asked  
“No, I’m serious, there is a dishy man at the door for you”  
“What does he look like?”  
“Tall, dark, mysterious and handsome”  
“Lauren-”  
“Okay he is tall, black hair with grey flecks, Blue eyes and has a husky sexy voice”

Alice’s eyes flew open, She ran to the door and saw him, standing there in front of her in the suit he wore when they first met, Black shirt, black jeans and the long black coat with the red lining. He was holding a small bouquet of flowers and a sweet smile, yet Alice looked at him like she had just seen a ghost, she went white and before Orson could even say hello, she dropped to the floor, her body struggling to cope with the stress and shock of all the events that had unfolded. Orson quickly put the flowers down and went to her side, he placed two fingers on her neck to check her pulse, just as Lauren rushed to her side.

“The hell did you do to her?!” Lauren shouted  
“I smiled.” Reese replied calmly  
“The shock must have got to her…”  
“I’ll carry her to her bedroom”  
“Erm, no you won’t, I have no idea who you are for a start”  
“My name is Orson and I am a friend of hers, we met a few weeks back”

Lauren just stared at him, she wasn’t going to budge, she would rather drag Alice back into the flat then let some complete stranger in.

“She never mentioned you”  
“She never really mentioned you either, so who is the imposter?”

Lauren blinked slowly at him.

“Just trust me okay? She needs rest and she needs to be comfortable, so please let me carry her to her bed”  
“Alright fine...but I’m following you so you don’t do anything funny”  
“Really?”  
“Don’t push it.”

Orson carefully scooped Alice up into his arms and carried her to her bedroom, Lauren following behind and guiding him. He carefully placed her on her bed and draped a blanket over her, as well as making sure her Thor bear was nearby, something that caught Lauren’s attention. Not many people knew Alice still slept with cuddly toys, nor did they know of the importance of her Thor bear but strangely he did. 

“How did you know about-”  
“She told me” Orson replied softly as he looked back at her “Thor means a lot to her because of her grandfather.”  
“Oh...You need to tell me how you two met because she never speaks about her boyfriends.”  
“Oh...She’s not my girlfriend”  
“I’m sure. Now would be a good time for us to get to know each other”

Orson wasn’t going to argue or protest, Lauren was clearly a good friend to Alice and she only had her best interests at heart, So Orson wasn’t surprised that she was going to be drilling him for information. He obliged with her request, he followed her downstairs and allowed her to, in her own way, interrogate him. She asked how they met to start with, Orson wasn’t sure if Alice told Lauren of that day, so he twisted the truth a little and told her he met her at Queensboro park when she fell off her longboard and as expected the questions kept coming. After an hour of questioning it seemed Lauren had warmed up to him as Lauren started to tell him stories of Alice, funny ones that made him and her chuckle but even though she had warmed to him a little...there was still one question that lurked.

“Well look, you seem like a nice guy I’ll give you that but I still need to know if I can trust you” Lauren stated  
“You can trust me” Orson replied calmly  
“But how do I know I can trust you?” Lauren asked  
“Did she tell you about the incident where a gang of thugs, jumped her and held her at knife point for her wallet and phone?”  
“Yeah she said a man came along and saved her- shit that was you wasn't it?”  
“Got it in one”  
“....Well where the hell was you the other night?!” Lauren asked  
“Oddly enough in a bar nearby but I didn’t hear anything”  
“Well...it’s knocked her for a six, a guy got killed saving her life and she’s reeling from it...I think it’s survivor's guilt”  
“Did she know him?”  
“I don’t think so...but she will need a lot of distracting and reassurance. Do you think you can pop in a bit more frequently?”  
“You have my word”

Their conversation was interrupted by the bedroom door creaking open, both Lauren and Orson looked round to see Alice standing in the doorway looking groggy. Lauren looked at Orson and then smiled at Alice.

“Right I better go get dinner” She said sweetly  
“But…..we haven’t decided on what we want” Alice replied  
“Lets stick to what we know. Chinese from the place across the road. I’ll order our usual, plus whatever he wants” Lauren replied, pointing at Orson  
“I’m sure there will be enough for all three of us….they do huge portions” Orson replied  
“Point. I’m off I’ll see you in half an hour”

Lauren smiled at Alice as she picked up her purse and headed out of the front door, leaving Alice with Orson, who was sitting comfortably on the couch, looking through the menus that Lauren had left on the coffee table, acting like nothing had happened, despite the fact that Alice was told he had died and yet here he was in front of her, alive and well and with no noticeable evidence of the wounds he had picked up. She furrowed her brow at him and folded her arms across her chest. Here she was beating herself up about the fact he had died saving her, or so she believed and there he was sitting there acting natural and it infuriated her. Did he not know what thoughts were racing through her mind right now? How guilty she felt for living or how guilty she felt that she was the one that got him shot because of her own stupidity?

“You’re dead” She said matter of factly “You died while I was being treated, the nurse told me when I asked and yet here you are, in front of me, making friends with my colleague and carrying on like nothing happened. Do you know what mental torture I have put myself through?!”  
“Alice-”  
“Did you fake your own death and the nurse was is on it?”  
“No”  
“So explain how the hell you came back from the dead?!”  
“Well...Guardians have quick healing abilities”  
“You. Died!”  
“It happens but we don’t stay dead long.”

Alice paused a moment and then started chuckling to herself as she ran her hands through her hair and started shaking her head wondering why she was even going along with this crazy idea that he was a Guardian Angel, when actually he could have been a fraudster or just some whack job that escaped out of the mental asylum.

“You know….I can’t believe I am falling for this whole guardian angel gig, I mean yeah okay last night I would have believed you because of the meds….but not now. For all I know, I’ve probably just let in some elaborate stalker hired to take me out. Guardian angel my ass.”  
“Guess I need to prove you wrong huh? I’m guessing you think all guardians have wings, a halo and wear a white toga or something correct?”  
“Pretty much.”  
“Guardian angels are not Necessarily Angels you know…”  
“Yeah sure”  
“Tough crowd.”

Orson stood up calmly from the couch and shrugged off his long black jacket. He then held it by the collar with his left arm and looked at Alice with a smile on his lips, in his eyes she had plenty of chances to take his word, that he was what he was. How else would he have got to her in time? How else would he have known? But not everyone was accepting of the supernatural, not everyone knew how it worked nor did they know what to look for. They hear the myths and legends but unless they see them with their own eyes, they pass them off as tall stories told to children. So the only way to convince Alice was to show her. Show her what he was, yes he was her guardian but he was far from being an angel.

“You’re either going to run in terror or you're going to faint. I doubt a pleasant outcome will come from this”  
“Come from what?”  
“This”

Orson shook his coat and in an instant his coat transformed into a Scythe that he gripped firmly in his hand. Alice staggered back at its sudden appearance before taking in it’s elegance and craftsmanship. The snath was a carved black wood with a glossy finish. The carvings were different nordic symbolisms of a bear, paw prints, claw marks, stances, faces and runes. The one that stood out for Alice was the one below the blade of the scythe, the face of a bear, two rubies sat in the carved eye sockets, glinting in the light. The Blade itself was just as extravagant, the attachment ring or the thing that connected the blade to the snath was a massive Silver bear paw that gripped the blade tightly in its grasp, along the belly was runes and symbols engraved into the metal. 

“You’re not an angel” She said in an almost hushed voice.  
“Nope”  
“You’re a re-”  
“Yep”

Her breath hitched in her throat as she struggled to comprehend why he was sent to her and why he was her guardian when he was clearly no angel. He is the fear of every single breathing human that walked the planet, he is what greets you at the end of the road when your body ceases to function and yet he wasn’t what Myth and legend made him out to be. A wolf in sheep's clothing. She gulped and swallowed hard as she took a few steps back, she didn’t believe he was there for any other purpose, she believed he was there for one reason and one reason only and Orson knew he was going to have a job convincing her otherwise.

“I know what you are thinking Alice, you’re thinking I’m here to take you to the next life. Well I’m not. I’m here because like I keep telling you...I am your guardian.”  
“Yeah...of death! You’re not here to protect me, you’re here to collect me. Is this like a lucid dream my brain has put me in? Is this how you collect, you infiltrate dreams and take people in their sleep?”  
“Alice I am not here to collect you”  
“Prove it. Prove I am not in some kind of dream”  
“Pinch your arm”  
“What?”  
“Pinch your arm...they say in dreams you can’t feel pain, so pinch your arm”  
“I can go one better” She replied

She carefully eased her injured arm out of the sling, felt along her forearm and then pressed down hard on the wound created from the gunshot. As expected she yelped in pain and buckled over, holding her arm, wincing and cursing as the pain shot through her entire arm.

 

“A pinch would have suffic-”  
“Okay you made your damn point” She growled “But why you? You of all mythical beings...why did they choose man's greatest fear?”  
“Because of your gift”  
“It's not a gift...it's a curse”  
“Okay...well your ability to see major events around the world, play out in your dreams, weeks, even months before they do, helps us to keep the fragile balance of life and death in check. Your premonitions, help to prepare us and in some cases prevent the loss of life. Are you the only one? No. There are others like you and we need to keep you safe, that’s why you have me watching over you and that’s why I am your guardian. Make sense now?”

She stared at him dumbfounded, the family curse was the reason for his being here and it acted as their warning system, preparing them for the eventualities of mass loss of life in one go, helping them to keep the fragile balance between life and death. Now it all made sense. The reasons why he showed when she was in trouble, why he suddenly appeared when she hit rock bottom, why he was there when she was pounced on by the gang of youths wanting her wallet and her phone and why he was in the park when she was having a midnight walk and why he saved her life. She is an importance to him and his kind, as obscure as it seemed.

“....My guardian is death…” She said slowly  
“Yep” Orson replied as he watched her try and digest the information given to her.  
“I have so many questions”  
“Like?”  
“If you touch me do I die?”  
“No”  
“Well… I guess that’s a good start….what about your eyes?”  
“What about them?”  
“Are they red?”  
“You tell me”  
“Only if you put the Scythe away”

Orson shrugged his shoulders, he then looked at the scythe and clicked his fingers, the scythe almost evaporated into thin air and in it’s place was the long black jacket that Orson draped over the back of the couch. He then walked over to Alice and placed his hands on her shoulders, she flinched in response.

“Don’t worry you’re still alive”  
“I figured by the way my heart started thumping in my chest”  
“So what colour eyes do I have?”

She gazed up at him, her eyes studying his, squinting as they tried to justify the colour. Last time she noticed them, they were a steel blue colour that seemed to pierce into your soul, but this time upon inspection, they were a deep ruby red colour virtually the same colour as the bear’s eyes on his scythe. In the myths and tales of reapers, the red eyes were supposed to strike fear into the heart of those meant to die and yet Alice found herself almost memorised by them. She wasn’t scared and she wasn’t finding herself wanting to run in fear, in fact they had the opposite effect, she found herself somewhat calmed by them. She was about to speak when there was a shriek from outside her door, Orson quickly switched into defensive mode and headed towards the door but as he was about to grab the handle, Lauren burst through and crashed into Orson, the colour had drained from her cheeks, her body trembling as Orson held her.

“Lauren what’s wrong?” Orson asked as he tried to read her  
“There’s a box….outside the door” Lauren responded as she tried to keep her composure “And in the box...is a cut out Human heart”


	6. The Cold and the Banished

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nobody likes a human heart being left on their doorstep, none more so than Orson. This was clearly a message intended for Alice that was potentially left by the mob but there is something more sinister behind it, putting Alice in imminent danger.

Lauren was in hysterics, her body was trembling and her breathing ragged as Alice ushered her over to the couch and helped her to sit down. Orson meanwhile stepped out of the apartment and inspected the box containing the human heart. It was an unmarked, white, cardboard cake box, the bottom soaked with blood. Orson flicked the lid off to inspect the heart, there was no real damage sustained to the organ, no puncture marks or bruising and the veins had clearly been neatly cut from the body, possibly cut with a surgical scalpel. 

Orson then gently placed the palm of his hand on top of the heart as a light blue glow started to emit from his hand, he then took a deep breath and closed his eyes. For a brief second there was darkness and silence and then, slowly, he could see a vision starting to filter through, he was a man standing before a mob boss, pleading for forgiveness.He is suddenly grabbed by two heavies a bag is placed over his head and he is being dragged. After a moment the bag is removed and he is lying in an operating theatre, laying on the slab and being forcefully pinned down by four men in black hoods while he struggles to break free. A mask is then placed over his head while another hooded man approaches with a needle which is then shoved into his arm. He tried to fight them off but to no avail. He blacked out and the vision ended. 

Orson opened his eyes, gasping a little as he started to come back around, he gently removed his hand from the heart, steadily stood himself up and went back into the apartment, heading into the kitchen to wash the blood off his hand.

“Orson?”  
“I’m okay” He said

But he wasn’t, a wave of dizziness quickly washed over him, causing him to grip the sink tightly to maintain his balance, his eyes widened as his vision momentarily blurred. It was an unfortunate side effect of being able to trace back the steps of the deceased moments before the soul leaves the body. Unfortunately Alice noticed his unsteadiness and rushed over to him, gently placing a hand on his back as he hung over the sink.

“Take it steady….” She said softly “Did you look at it? “  
“Yeah…”  
“Never knew reapers could have a blood phobia”  
“Oh trust me, it's not a blood Phobia” He replied as he splashed water over his face “I can explain later, did you ring the police?”  
“They are on their way”

Orson nods and dries his face as Alice makes up some coffee and hands Lauren a mug while she draped a blanket over her shoulders to try and subdue the shock. After ten minutes the police arrived to take statements and asses the crime scene, Lauren gave them a statement of what she saw while forensics dusted for prints in the corridor and cordoned the scene off from the public. It took a couple of hours before the scene was finally cleared and the police returned back to the station with their findings. Lauren headed back home, escorted by Orson who wanted to make sure she came to no harm. He then returned back to Alice’s apartment and knocked on the door. 

“Who is it?” She called out  
“Orson”

There was a pause before he heard footsteps shuffling up to the door followed by the rattling of chains being removed from their locks and then a key being turned in the door. The door opened slowly and Alice peered round to check that it was Orson before opening the door fully and letting him into the apartment. He noticed she had only just started to watch Thor and that her thor bear was on the couch next to her under a blanket that she had taken out her bedroom. 

“You find a heart on your doorstep and you're watching a movie? Most people freak out or react like your friend did..”  
“Don't know if you got the memo but I'm not most people…most people cry or hide away… I prefer to watch a good superhero film whenever my nerves are frazzled. The first time I saw something like this, I did cry but then I found my own coping strategies and Thor works for me… He helps me relax and makes me believe that this curse is more of A messed up superpower given to me by Asgard”

Orson raised a brow and then pointed at the bear underneath the blanket.

“It’s way past his bedtime don’t you think?”  
“...I always bring him down when I am watching Thor”  
“And needing comfort...it’s okay to say if you’re feeling uneasy”  
“Uneasy? A still bleeding human heart shows up on my doorstep and the guy who saved my life is DEATH ! Uneasy doesn't cut it close and right now nothing is making much sense which is doing WONDERS for my anxiety” She said sarcastically before throwing herself back on the couch, hands running through her hair in frustration 

Her world had been turned upside down in a matter of days and now her world had a different look, now there was a supernatural element, one that she could no longer turn a blind eye to but now that she was more aware of it, it made her even more exposed. Yes she was protected by the reapers but that now made her a target to the supernatural predators that lurked in the shadows. Demons, shapeshifters Fallen Angels, Banshees and the worst of them all, The Banished, reapers who had lost their way, who killed mortals out of retaliation or for sport, who turned on their fellow man and killed them. They were unpleasant and unpredictable and absorbed souls to get a power fix. They had milky white eyes that glowed eerily in the darkness, they flourished at night and rather than shift like a reaper, they would turn to black smoke and vanish. They are creepy, they are deceptive and they can only be described as being the worst of all the paranormal beings. Orson had encountered a couple during his time as reaper and they weren't the easiest of fights, he never came away unscathed, in fact one battle left him scarred after one turned his own scythe on him and crippled Orson but what they did to mortals was far worse. They would drain their souls and turn them into something similar to walking zombies, that they would keep as pets and unleash when they wanted to cause panic and chaos, just for a fix and if they get wind of Alice’s existence, if they even get so much as a whiff, Orson could be sure he would need at least half a dozen men watching her front door.

“What the hell have I got into?” She asked  
“Do you want the full fat version or the watered down version?” He replied, knowing full well that what he would tell her could send her into a spin of paranoia “Because I’m worried what I will tell you will send you spiralling and I don’t want that for you Alice, you have got to focus on getting better first, that’s all I want...and you being safe.”

She sighed “Fine, give me the watered down version”

Orson walked round and sat down next to her on the couch, placing her legs on his lap and then draping a blanket over them.

“Reapers have enemies too, supernatural and natural”  
“Wait...Who are the natural enemies?” Alice asked as she sat herself up  
“Hunters of the supernatural...you think they are crazy folk but they exist and they have attacked us many times...unsuccessfully may I add but they have tried”  
“But you can’t kill them”  
“We don’t….we have other methods of dealing with them”  
“And the supernatural?”  
“Monsters of Myth that we reapers keep from knocking at your door”  
“Will I see any of them?”  
“Hopefully not...but it doesn’t hurt to get you clued up on them, WHEN you’re ready. I don’t want you having nightmares before bed”  
“You’re not staying up the whole night are you?”  
“If I got to stay up the whole night, I got to stay up the whole night”  
“Orson-”  
“Shush...Loki’s talking now”

Alice quickly turned her attentions back to the film. She would explain certain points of the film to him in detail as well as the fragile unbalanced bond between Loki and Thor and how it compared to the stories her grandfather told her about them. Whenever she spoke of them, both from the myths and the comic books, she spoke fondly of them, as if they were part of her family. There was a warm smile on her face and her eyes were filled with joy as she felt like she was educating him on the two gods that played a huge role of her growing up. The tales of Thor helped her get over her phobia of thunder and the stories of Loki would always make her laugh and heightened her curiosity. It was evident she had a deep connection with these gods, they were a comfort a memory of a much loved man and a reminder, that he in someway was still around for her.

Alice didn’t manage to last the whole film, she reached the point of the last battle and drifted off to sleep, holding her Thor bear close. She looked calm and at ease, Orson smiled, he turned off the film and gently scooped her up into his arms. She stirred a little as he carried her to her bedroom, he gently laid her down on her bed and draped her duvet over her as she settled and went back into a deep sleep and yet Orson had this need, this urge to lay on the bed next to her, to make sure she was safe during the night, to comfort her should she have a nightmare and to keep the monsters from the door. She had been through enough by herself and Orson felt it was time to put a stop to her fighting on her own. 

Orson took his place beside her. He laid down and closed his eyes, falling into a light sleep, his senses still aware to the noises and smells around him. The noises of New York seeped into his dreams, yet these pleasent dreams of his soon took a dark turn as the visions he saw from touching the heart started to play over and over again. Was there something he missed or overlooked? He was always so careful when analysing what he saw but there was something, something sinister about this vision that plagued him over and over. He listened to the sounds, looked at faces that were obscured by hoods and there was nothing but then he saw something in the corner of the room, where the victim was being prepared for surgery it was faint but regardless it was there. Two white dots that watched intently, two white dots that told him that this was something more than a warning from the mob. This was a threat from the banished. 

The Banished were clearly pulling the strings of the Mob’s operations, giving them what they need in exchange for fresh souls and soulless minions to do their bidding. The perfect union, if the Mob needed to dispose of a body, the banished were on hand to do the clean up but what worried Orson was why were they suddenly coming after Alice? Did she piss someone off within the mob ranks or did the Banished know about her as well? The thoughts that swirled through his mind woke him up, he looked over at Alice, checking to see if she was still sound asleep. Thankfully she was, clutching her Thor bear in her arms as she remained snuggled under the duvet. Orson smiled and then carefully got off the bed and made his way to the kitchen so he could make himself a cup of coffee and as he waited for the coffee to brew the memories and flashbacks of previous Banished attacks started to creep in, playing out like a horror movie. They circled him, shifting so much that they created a funnel of black smoke around him to disorientate him, then, one after another their milky white eyes pierced through the darkness, all of them laughing, all of them trying to lure him out before they suddenly vanished. Quiet, no noise, no smoke. Orson exhaled slowly, looking at the floor briefly before looking back up and being face to face with one of the banished, tall thickset, short spiky hair, a scar over his left eye and a sickening grin on his lips. His name was Polar, one of the fiercest and toughest of their kind. He had killed many reapers single handedly, admittedly most of them were newbies still trying to learn their new way of life but they were easy pickings, vulnerable and naive. Yet he got more than he bargained for when he jumped Orson. Orson was the one who gave him that scar over his eye...but Polar gave him a scar in return.

He leaned into Orson.

“Boo!” He whispered

He then snatched the scythe from Orson’s hands, lifted it above his head and was about to bring it down on Orson. That was when the coffee machine clicked and whirred, causing Orson to jump and snap out of his flashback. He held his head in his hands and slid down the wall as he struggled to catch his breath.

“I am the bear protecting my cub” He said to himself over and over again till he believed it himself “And you’re not going to get her Polar”

He rubbed his eyes and stood back up before pausing momentarily. He felt the room had suddenly dropped in temperature , it was so cold he could see his breath rip through the cold air. Alarm bells were starting to ring, he took his jacket off the back of the couch, the swift hard movement transformed it into his scythe. He gripped it tightly, his senses heightened as he scanned the room.

“I know you’re around” He snarled lowly as he slowly made his way around the apartment, looking in every dark corner he could find “And when I find you I’ll have your head”

“Oh will you?” Came a voice

Orson quickly spun round and there, right next to Alice’s room stood one of the Banished. Tall, slim, wearing a black suit, he had distinct cheekbones, a strong Jaw and wavy chestnut brown hair. His white eyes pierced through the darkness and Orson could see the smirk on his face. He was going to lunge for him but the man held his hand up.

“I’m here to bring a message”  
“Yeah?”  
“Polar Says Hi!”

Orson growled, He charged towards him, his hand going for the throat but as he went to grab him, The man smoked out leaving Orson with a handful of Black smoke that quickly dispersed into the air and the sudden gut wrenching feeling that Alice was in imminent danger.


	7. No sense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A threat by the banished is not something to be taken lightly. It means Orson will need to watch Alice closely and keep her safe, any mistakes can be costly as Adder states but Orson soon learns he is lacking a vital skill and without it he could loose Alice.

He couldn't sleep. They knew about her, they knew what he is protecting from them, a soul with the ability to see future events that could give them a window of time, time to create as much chaos and havoc to unsettle the fragile balance between life and death, a chance to overthrow the reapers, raise hell and let the world fall under the rule of the underworld. No one would die, they would be subjected to an eternity of suffering or worse, be turned into a soulless minion once their overlords needed a quick power fix. 

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of movement close by. Orson gripped his scythe tightly and as he turned round he was presented with a half awake Alice who was just as startled to see him as he was her. 

“Whoa!” She shouted “Careful where you point that thing!”

Orson relaxed his grip and lowered his scythe as he exhaled deeply, running his fingers through his hair.

“You made me jump”  
“Well I’m sorry but I needed some water...Why are you so jumpy anyway? It’s not like you”  
“Nightmares”  
“You have nightmares? Ironic since you are the source of all nightmares. No offence.”  
“None taken”

She wandered over to the kitchen and got herself a glass of water as Orson poured himself a mug of coffee and sat himself down on the sofa, his mind was still racing, the last time Polar was seen by any reaper was six months previous, when his latest attempt to unsettle things was disrupted and Orson made his mark on him. Polar’s plan then, was to feast on the souls of those with the same ability as Alice, to enable him to see these future events, restrict the reapers ability to act fast and collect as many souls needed to appease the gods of the underworld and to bring the mortal world to its knees. The only reason why the plan failed was because Orson’s boss, the Master reaper, captured one of Polar’s cronies and made him squeal by praying on the banished known weaknesses such as salt water, which strips away their skin, exposure to intense UV light which blinds them and then, to really ramp up the pain, reaper blood injected into the body which acts like Acid. 

If they had not acted as soon as they did, they would be living in an entirely different world but it seemed the intervention only stalled Polar’s plans, while he licked his wounds it gave him time to work on a new plan and possibly out of revenge, the new plan of his involved Alice.

“Orson?” Alice said softly as Orson turned to look at her “How bad were these nightmares?”  
“You can’t even begin to imagine” He replied  
“Try me”  
“Okay, what do you fear the most Alice?”  
“...Zombies… I can’t watch zombie movies because they give me paranoia for weeks”  
“Okay, well imagine encountering one in real life, imagine it right in your face, snarling and hissing at you....imagine this zombie staring at you with it’s dead eyes boring into your soul..Imagine that and you will only scratch the surface of how bad the nightmares are.”  
“....Thanks Orson, I’m gonna have nightmares now”

Orson reached for his mug of coffee and took a sip. The aroma of the roasted coffee beans, helped lift his heavy eyelids as he struggled to keep himself awake. She was his priority but if he didn’t sleep, he would be putting her life at greater risk. A double edged sword if you will. He then felt her hand rest lightly on his shoulder, he turned to look at her.

“You maybe a reaper but you need to sleep” She said softly  
“If I close my eyes the nightmares return and I will end up waking you from your sleep. You need your rest Alice in order to heal”  
“And you need your rest to look after me...since you claim to be my guardian” she said as she gently squeezed his shoulder “Will it help if you cuddled me? Will that help ease the nightmares?”  
“I have not tried”  
“Well...I guess if you know I’m close you know I’m safe right?”  
“You’re letting a complete stranger hug you…”  
“Well….not a complete stranger”  
“Only if you are sure…”  
“I’m sure….just be careful with the arm okay?”

Orson nodded and finished off his coffee as Alice headed back to bed, getting herself under the covers and comfortable as best as she can, placing a pillow under her arm as support in the night, she was then joined by Orson who laid down next to her and carefully wrapped an arm around her waist, thinking she would recoil or tense up but she didn’t, she was relaxed and calm which put Orson at ease as he fell into a slumber.

By morning, Orson carefully sneaked out of Alice’s apartment, leaving her a note to inform her he will return, he didn’t tell her why he had to go but hoped she would assume it had something to do with his role, when in reality he had an important meeting with the master that he arranged no more than ten minutes previous. The meeting point was at the battery park in lower manhattan, Orson sat on the benches overlooking the hudson river, watching the bright orange staten island ferries cross the water frequently as he waited for Adder to appear. He knew Adder wasn’t someone who made himself obvious, he wouldn’t just walk into view and smile or greet you with a hello. Adder was sneaky and mysterious, by the time you sensed his presence, he would be right behind you, towering over you, watching the hair on the back of your neck slowly stand on end before you turn to look him dead in the eyes. That’s when he will say hello and that’s when he will teach you a lesson on not being aware of your surroundings, they say he only gives you one chance to learn that lesson, fail him again and he will punish you. Thankfully Orson was quick to learn, the moment he felt his skin start to crawl was when he knew someone was lurking nearby and his quick reactions caught Adder off guard but he was impressed.

After five minutes of waiting, Orson got that exact same feeling, a smirk formed on his lips as he turned his head to the right to see Adder sitting on the bench next to him, his short blonde hair spiked up and his goatee was maintained and trimmed neatly, he had defined cheekbones and a strong jaw, in short he was good looking and it was no wonder women surrounded him like bees to honey, plus he had the english charm and rich english accent as well. When standing Adder was of the same height as Orson but he was a leaner, more athletic build compared to Orson and that gave him an advantage when it came to fighting or sprinting over longer distances but with his rank it was expected of him. His scythe had manifested itself into a bamboo walking cane, with snakes carved into the bamboo. He didn’t need a walking aide but even he admitted he done it to look fancy.

“Master Adder” Orson said as he watched a smile rise on the masters lips  
“Hello Orson” Adder replied as he adjusted his long black jacket that had Sargent military rankings stitched into the shoulders “Your sensitivity to another reapers presence hasn’t lessened I see”  
“Nope, which means you can’t catch me off guard Master Adder”

Adder chuckled and glanced at Orson.

“So….what is the nature of this meeting?” Adder asked  
“While I was at my assigned prophets home, i received a visitation”  
“From who?”  
“The Banished”

Adder clenched his jaw and gripped his Scythe tightly, just the name was enough to make the Master Reapers blood boil, they were a blight to the Reaper kind, relentless, blood thirsty and never stopped.

“What do they want?” He growled  
“I don’t know but I think Alice is in danger, the other night a human heart was left on her doorstep and when I traced back the last moments of the deceased…...I saw them in the vision, lurking in the shadows. It’s a threat from them and more specifically Polar”  
“Then I guess he managed to lick his wounds.”  
“Something like that….I think he’s going after Alice...He’s got wind one of us is protecting her-”  
“And he knows she is a prophet. That old plan again”  
“No offence Master Reaper Adder but I don’t think he is that stupid to try again with the same plan that failed him, he’s going after Alice for a reason”  
“Then we need to find out what. For now stick close to Alice, never let her leave your sight. Where is she now?” Adder asked  
“She was asleep when I left her so she should still be at her apartment”  
“I’ll inform the others of this news and I’ll tell them to keep watch of Alice, should she leave your sight. They’re gonna start taking chances Orson and we can’t afford to make mistakes. You better get back to her”

Orson nodded and shifted himself back to the apartment, hoping to find Alice still asleep but she wasn’t, she was nowhere to be found in the apartment which in turn set alarm bells off in his head, the banished were looking for her and he promised Adder he wouldn’t let her leave his sight and yet she was gone and Orson couldn’t seem to sense her nearby, for all he knew, she could be heading right into the hands of Polar and he wouldn’t be able to save her and if Adder knew, he was surely going to be punished for his lack of concentration and neglect.

“She’s at the shops” Came the distinctive rich English voice from behind.

Orson quickly spun round to see Adder behind him, flicking through the comics that were piled up on Alice’s coffee table before he caught Orson’s gaze and smirked.

“And I managed to catch you off guard”  
“With all due respects-”  
“I know, you were worrying about Alice. It’s normal, yet the reason you are worried is because you can’t sense her, you can sense a Reaper coming a mile off but you can’t sense your prophet unless she is right next to you. How can I trust you to keep her safe if you haven’t even developed that skill?”  
“Because I already saved her life” Orson replied  
“Just” Adder replied before closing the book he was reading “I’m suspending your duties for a week while you work on that connection with your prophet and if you still have not developed it to a sufficient level, I will assign her to someone I can trust”  
“But Master Reaper-”  
“No but’s. A week is plenty of time”

He placed the comic back down on the table and then shifted out of the apartment, just as Alice walked in holding a carrier bag with a few things in it.

“Hey, where did you go this morning?” She asked as she started putting the items into the fridge  
“Needed to clear my head”  
“.....Okay...well I am making waffles, want some?”  
“Err yeah...If you let me help”  
“You wanna help?”  
“Well you can’t exactly make them with one arm”  
“Alright you got a point”

She allowed him to help, she added the ingredients to the bowl while he mixed them together to make the batter. He then prepared some fresh fruit to go with it while she cooked them. He knew that she was independent, he sensed that the first time they met but sensing her personality and traits was nothing compared to what Adder was requesting from him. What Adder was asking for was a bond between them, a bond that linked them to each other no matter where they were. He needed to sense if she is in danger without physically being next to her and to be able to do all that he would need to gain her trust, which might be a bit of a stumbling block considering the rocky start they had.

“So what are your plans today?” She asked, snapping him from his thoughts  
“I don’t have any because I am looking after you”  
“Orson I don’t need a babysitter”  
“I’m not your babysitter, I’m your guardian”  
“Whatever...It’s a broken arm technically. I can manage on my own”  
“Not taking no as an answer”  
“No cause your stubborn”  
“Wonder where I get that from…” He says with a Glint in his eye

She looked at him with a serious expression on her face till she saw the mischievous look in his eye and she cracked as a smile formed and a chuckle escaped from her lips.

“Alright, alright you can be my babysitter”  
“Good. Now go sit down and relax. I got this”  
“Yes sir” She replied as she mockingly saluted him

He smiled and continued with the cooking, piling the waffles on top of each other while she relaxed on the couch. Oblivious to the truth, the real reason why he was looking after her, oblivious to the storm that was coming her way. She was going to need to start trusting him because now her life depended on him.


	8. Polar visions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is seven days enough? Is seven days enough time to establish a spiritual link with someone? Orson only has a week to establish a connection with Alice and just as it seems things developing nicely between them, something else comes along to ruin the party. Can Orson move in time to keep Alice safe from the threat of the banished?

Was seven days enough time to get to know someone? Was seven days enough to build up trust? In normality it wasn’t, these were things that developed over time, through continuously meeting that person or doing things off the cuff to help them, without even thinking. That takes time and effort and certainly cannot be achieved within a week of meeting that one person. Yet to Adder, this was enough time, especially since Alice was off due to injury and couldn’t really do much by herself but as always with Alice, she hated it when Orson helped out when she knew, normally she could do the same things by herself. She hated relying on others but she had no choice and Orson couldn’t really leave her on her own.

The first couple of days were tough for them both. Alice would get frustrated if she couldn’t do a simple task, stubbornly refusing to ask for help and because of this, Orson had to step in and help. Yes it was frustrating but it was good practice for them both, Alice had to learn to ask for Help and Orson had to trust that she will ask...eventually. So by the third day they started to work together and the sense that Adder wanted Orson to work on, was starting to come together and he had a chance to test it when Alice was invited out that night with Lauren...who took her out for a ladies night at The Playwright Irish bar on 35th street. She wasn’t too far away but it gave Orson a chance to work on the new skill he was developing. At first it was tricky, he couldn’t feel anything or pick up on anything that Alice may have been doing but he soon realised that once he relaxed, he soon started to pick up her emotions and right now she seemed content and safe which allowed Orson to relax and watch some TV or some films that Alice had laying around, most of them were superhero movies but a small majority were action films or cartoons.

He settled for a film about Dinosaurs that ran riot at a theme park, it was a bit far fetched but enjoyable and at times Orson jumped at the jump scares that were put into the film at various points, but as the film came to a close, Orson started to pick up on something, he suddenly started to feel restless and unsettled, he had no reason to feel like this, he was comfortable, he had food and drink nearby and he was safe. So why did he feel this way? Then it hit him, it wasn’t him that was feeling restless and unsettled, it was Alice. He quickly got to his feet, grabbing his jacket from off the back of the couch, pulling it on in a hurry as he tried to pick up where she was. He stood for a moment and focused himself, blocking out the noises around him, forcing the world outside to fall quiet so that he could pick up on where she was. It wasn't long before he started to pick up on the sounds and the smells that Alice was encountering, he could hear trains trundling past in the distance, he could feel the heat of the subway, taste the thick metallic air and smell the soot that lingered. She was at a subway station and by what he was sensing, she was alone.

Orson took a deep breath, closed his eyes and focused on what he could hear, smell and taste, within a second those smells, sounds and tastes got stronger, he opened his eyes and found himself in the subway, people rushing past to board the next train arriving at the platform but Alice wasn’t on this platform, her platform was quiet and he could hear her chanting something over and over again.

“Red eyes, Austria, New York, Queensboro Bridge”

Words that she uttered over and over. She was grounding herself as her anxieties tried to consume her, something had unsettled her and Orson needed to get to her before it got worse but with so much noise, Orson was struggling to focus on her, he quickly walked away from the busy platform and walked along the now quiet corridors of the station. He could hear her better and once he was out of sight, he closed his eyes and focused till he heard her words getting clearer and louder. He opened his eyes and found himself on another platform, he looked to his left and saw Alice slouched on the floor, one hand covering her ear, her bad arm still in its sling, close to her chest as she said the words over and over. Orson approached her carefully and sat down next to her, gently placing his hand on her shoulder, causing her to quickly turn round to face him, startled by his sudden appearance but at the same time relieved he was there by her side. She removed her good hand from her ear and seeked comfort from him, wrapping her arm around him as she buried her face into his chest. He carefully wrapped his arm around her and held her while she composed herself.   
“What was it Alice?” He asked softly  
“I can't explain it” She replied in a hushed voice “A daydream, a very vivid daydream”  
“Like a vision?”

She nodded 

“What did you see?”

Orson could feel her take a deep breath before she exhaled slowly and looked up at him. Whatever she saw, seemed to have shaken her, so much so that it caused her to have an anxiety attack in public. 

“White eyes” She said “A group of people with white eyes, slaughtering people at a subway station”

Orsons blood ran cold. Polar was upping his game, this time he wasn't giving the reapers a chance to breathe or an opportunity to hide their assets. He wanted them to run scared, he wanted them to make mistakes, he wanted them to pay and his revenge quest was all targeted towards Orson, payback for the damage Orson inflicted upon him the last time they met but rather then hurt him physically, Polar is determined to crush him and the reapers, both physically and mentally, starting with Alice.

“Let’s get you home” Orson said as he pulled her to her feet “I somehow think taking the subway isn’t a good idea right now”  
“So we’re walking?”  
“We have no choice”

Orson held her hand as they started to walk out of the subway station as more people started to come through the turnstiles as well as other people leaving the station after coming off the train. Orson could sense it was making Alice uneasy, she gripped his hand tighter as they battled through the crowds of people, climbing the stairs before emerging at surface level, the streets alive with the hustle and bustle of late night shopping and tourists coming to see the sights and sounds of the big city. 

Orson paused a moment to take in his surroundings before he started to walk down fifth avenue, past Madison Square gardens, all the while holding onto Alice’s hand guiding her through the crowds but his sixth sense was going crazy, he could sense someone or something was watching them, he could feel their eyes burning into the back of his skull. He knew it wasn't Adder or another reaper nearby, If it was, he wouldn't be feeling this uncomfortable. He scanned the streets, trying to catch them out but they weren't making themselves obvious to him. 

“... You do know its over an hours walk to get to mine right?” Alice said as they continued to walk.  
“Then it’ll be good exercise” He responded as he continued to look for the person who was watching them.

Alice frowned and stopped in her tracks, nearly wrenching Orson’s arm out of joint as he spun round to face her, an annoyed expression etched on his face.

“You know who they are don’t you?” Alice asked  
“Alice-”  
“The white eyed people! You know them don’t you?!” She asked, panic in her voice “If my life is in danger I have the right to know, so who are they?”

Orson swallowed hard, he didn’t want to tell her about the monsters that were coming after her but he had no choice. She had a point and a right to know if her life was in danger and he had a job to protect her.

“They are what my nightmares consist of, they can kill reapers when they are bored, they take souls that are not destined for the afterlife and devour them for a fix or worse they use them as offerings to the gods of the underworld. They want to disrupt the balance between life and death and the worst thing...these creatures were once like me, reapers that turned rotten, that got power crazy and started abusing their abilities and if they can find a way to overthrow us, they will do everything in their power to make sure they do”  
“So that’s why you freaked out when I told you about the vision….”  
“Because chances are your vision will come true….that’s why I took you out of the subway and that’s why we’re walking”  
“And that’s why you’re twitchy” Alice responded  
“You'd be twitchy too if you knew someone was watching you. Let's keep moving.”

But when Orson looked at Alice again, he noticed her eyes were wide open with fear, colour drained from her cheeks and her skin had erupted into goosebumps. Whatever was freaking her out was over Orson’s shoulder and he could feel an icy breath drag down his neck as his stomach twisted in knots. Only one creature could produce that effect on him. 

“How many?” He mouthed 

Alice squeezed the hand she was holding, three times, indicating that there was three of them. Orson clenched his jaw and grabbed the lapel of his jacket. 

“Alice. Run! “

Alice sprinted in the other direction as Orson quickly spun round on his heels, his jacket quickly manifested itself into his scythe, the blade glinting menacingly as the three banished men took a step back to avoid the razor sharp blade before they surrounded Orson, each one dressed in black, each one with a sick smile upon their lips as Orson stood ready.

“This won’t end well boys” Orson growled  
“You’re right…..it won’t end well, not for you anyway” One of them hissed

One of them grabbed Orson’s shoulder from behind, Orson quickly elbowed them in the face as another lunged for him, just as Orson swung the scythe, the blade easily cutting through their body, instantly turning them into ash and embers before the blade embedded itself into the gut of the banished that Orson had previously elbowed in the face. He growled and with a firm tug he ripped the Scythe through the middle of the banished’s body, splitting him in two and turning them into ash and embers also. That left one who was now making a break for Alice. Orson frowned, he coiled his body round and then threw his scythe at the one chasing after Alice, the blade swirling through the air before making contact with it’s target, just as he was about to reach out and Grab Alice. She quickly turned around to see the ash and embers scatter in the breeze and Orson’s jacket laying on the floor before her. 

Orson jogged over to her, he picked his jacket off the floor and looked her over, noticing how visibly shaken she was.

“You’re not okay are you?”  
“Think I’m gonna pass out now Orson”

Before he could speak, Alice had lost consciousness, her body had gone limp and was falling to the floor, thankfully Orson caught her before her head hit the ground. He then gently eased her onto the ground and draped his jacket over her to keep her warm while he looked around to make sure she was safe. He no longer felt the eyes watching them, nor the feeling of being followed but there was that familiar feeling of his skin crawling, the usual tell tale sign that Adder was close by and considering the circumstances he was probably on the scene to read Orson the riot act or berate him for not acting sooner then he would have liked.

“She’s not safe” Came the familiar Rich english tones from behind  
“Master Reaper Adder I worked on what you asked me to wor-”  
“I’m not doubting you Orson” Adder replied as he stood next to him “But I’m guessing you sensed something was wrong or was you just in the right place at the right time again?”

Orson was forced to bite his tongue at the small snide remark that fell easily from Adder’s lips

“I sensed her having a panic attack and was able to locate her going by the sounds the smells and the tastes that she was picking up”  
“And do you know why she was having a panic attack?”  
“She had a vision...the banished were attacking a subway station to draw us out, killing innocents for fun.”  
“So while we are distracted trying to save the balance, she is left unguarded and if Polar gets his hands on her, there is no telling what damage he can do.”  
“He tried it before and we stopped him”  
“We did.”  
“So why is it any different?”  
“Because it seems he wants to keep this one as his pet” Adder growled

Orson gently scooped Alice into his arms and lifted her off the floor.

“He’d have to get through me first. Right now she needs her bed, her thor bear and some much needed rest”  
“Orson...you can’t take her home, they know where she lives, it’s too risky” Adder warned  
“She’s a prophet because she can see future events correct?”  
“Correct” Adder replied  
“Then I’m sure she will tell me if they are planning to sneak in”  
“Orson-”

Orson shifted before Adder could finish. He wasn’t in the mood to listen, He knew what Alice needed more than his boss. The simple things, her bed, her duvet and her Thor bear. Nothing else, so when he appeared in her bedroom with her in his arms, the first thing he done was tucked her into bed and made sure her Thor bear was close and it wasn’t long before she started to stir and come back round.

“.....Orson?” She mumbled  
“I’m here” He said softly before taking her hand and squeezing it gently  
“....Did you bring me home?” She asked as she gingerly sat herself home.  
“I did...do you want anything? I can go and get it for you while you rest”  
“.....Cup of tea would be nice” She said playfully  
“Coming right up”

He gently ruffled her hair and made his way down to the kitchen to make her a cup of tea, which he learnt through Alice, was a staple part of an englishman’s diet, or at least that was what she told him, deep down he knew a cup of tea was something she enjoyed due to the fact it reminded her of home and her family. A comfort. He filled the kettle with cold water and switched it on to boil the water while he prepped two cups with teabags and sugar, making sure the milk goes in last like Alice showed him. She was home and while he was close she was safe or so he thought. As the water started to boil he could hear the faint sound of people screaming, that got louder and louder with every passing second till it became deafening and overpowering, causing Orson to cover his ears and go to ground as the sound of the endless screaming was now becoming painful, he couldn’t move, the pain had paralysed him to the spot. He hissed as he tried to ride out the pain but as soon as the kettle clicked to indicate the water had boiled, the screaming stopped and the pain had relinquished its grip on him, causing Orson to pant heavily as he shakily got to his feet. 

“The fuck was that?” He breathed as he gripped the kitchen worktop

 

He took a minute to regain his composure but his senses were going wild, alerting him to something being in the room with him. He quickly looked round but he didn’t see anything, no tell tale sign of the banished or signs of another reaper, yet his skin crawled and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and then out of the corner of his eye, he saw something move, Orson quickly turned round to see Adder, standing in front of the big window overlooking the city, clutching his side.

“She was right….they hit the subway…we managed to diffuse it as quick as we could… but the son of a bitch used my Scythe against me, just enough to take me out..”

He went to sit on the couch but the pain overwhelmed him and he collapsed in a heap. Orson dashed over to him, he rolled him onto his side to inspect the wound. The blade of his Scythe had gone quite deep before it was pulled out of his body and that wasn't a good thing if the wound inflicted upon him was done by his own Scythe. The implications of such an injury restricts the healing time due to the way a scythe is crafted and assigned to a reaper. In short, with the master heavily injured, the reapers were left vulnerable. 

“Who did this to you? Who managed to grab your scythe and turn it on you?”

Adder hissed as Orson applied pressure to the wound. 

“...One of our own…. He Got to one of our own”  
“Who did?”  
“Polar!”


	9. The World is Ours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The appearance of Adder in a bad state, has given Orson some explaining to do with Alice but while they are busy focusing on healing the master, their guards drop and a familiar face returns to claim what he desires.

The sound of Adders body slamming on the floor disrupted the peace, causing Alice to come running out of her bedroom to the scene before her, Orson crouched over another man.

“Is he one of them?!” She asked with panic in her voice as she grabbed a knife from the kitchen worktop   
“Alice put the knife down!”  
“Answer me...is he one of them?!”  
“He's one of us...he's the Master and he's hurt, so please put the knife down”

Alice slowly put the knife down on the kitchen table and carefully approached Orson, wary of the man he was tending to. He had blonde wavy hair styled up into a fauxhawk, was sporting a goatee and was a similar height and build to Orson. She could see the deep gauge in his side, oozing with blood, it made her stomach twist and knot as she covered her mouth in an attempt to stop herself from being sick at the sight.

“.......What happened to him?”  
“He got struck with his own scythe...I’m gonna need gauzes and then I need to get him to a place of worship”  
“Orson he needs a doctor”  
“A doctor might be able to stitch him up but he can't rid the wound of its curse”  
“Curse?”  
“Alice I can explain better when I am not rushing to save his life. I need gauzes please”

Alice went into the kitchen and removed the medical box from one of the cupboards, quickly emptying it’s contents while she searched for gauzes and bandages, usually her medical supplies were stocked up but supplies were running low since she herself got injured. 

“Shit!” she growled “I've only got bandages”  
“That’ll do.”

She quickly grabbed the rolls of bandages she had to hand and joined Orson, his hands were now soaked in the other reapers blood, a small pool of it on her floor. Again the nausea raised in her stomach, she wasn’t particularly squeamish about blood but this was a lot, even for her, she quickly excused herself and rushed to the bathroom, just in time as the nausea forced its way up, causing her to retch and heave in protest at the horrific sight. It seemed that things were getting progressively worse, first it was the mugging incident, then she got shot and she thought Orson had died, then it was the delightful package of a human heart and now this, either she did something to piss the man upstairs off or he had some fucked up sense of humour.

“I don’t think she likes blood” Adder said softly as he battled to stay conscious  
“She’s not used to it” Orson replied

He carefully applied the bandages to the wound, causing Adder to hiss and protest in pain but Orson managed to cover the wound despite the protests and carefully eased the woozy master onto his feet again, letting him lean against him for support as Alice returned from the bathroom, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

“....Sorry” She said sheepishly  
“It happens. Now tell me where’s the nearest place of worship from here?” Orson asked  
“Trinity Church on broadway”  
“Think you can make it Boss?”   
“....I think so…”

Orson nodded and then held out his hand to Alice.

“Need you to come with us Alice, can’t risk leaving you here by yourself”  
“......How?...Orson it’s eight minutes away by foot…”  
“I’ll show you if you take my hand”  
“You sure that's wise, she's seen more than a mortal should Orson” Adder warned  
“And if I leave her here she will be a sitting duck. No offence Master Reaper Adder but I'm not leaving her here on her own.”  
“And I don't think there’s much left to surprise me. I've seen some fucked up things lately” Alice replied 

She reached out and grabbed his hand, she blinked her eyes and she soon found herself inside the trinity church. The lighting was dim and moody, the altar beneath the beautiful and intricate stained glass window, was the only section of the church that was well lit and welcoming as Orson helped Adder towards the Altar, clearing it of all its ornaments and sheet, exposing the decorated bare stone beneath. He then eased Adder onto the altar, helping him lay down, slowly onto his back.

“This is going to hurt” Adder groaned   
“It will but the wound will be cleansed and the curse lifted Master Reaper Adder”  
“Always a silver lining huh?”

Orson nodded in agreement and then walked back to Alice who was staring at them in a stunned silence, many questions were circling round her head but Orson didn't have time to answer them. His priority right now was Adder and ensuring he was fixed up and cleansed. 

“Alice help me get some Holy water”  
“Why did you strip the Altar?” She asked  
“I'll explain in a moment.”  
“But Orson-”  
“Alice. I don't have time right now. Please help me get some holy water and I'll explain once I get chance”

Alice gulped and started to search the church for a font filled with Holy water. It was in the far corner of the church, tucked away in one of the corridors. She dashes over and grabs a goblet, filling it with the holy water before she carefully walked her way back to Orson, handing him the goblet of Holy water, confused and somewhat concerned by what he is about to do. She noticed the bandages had been removed and were now discarded on the floor, Adder laying on his back staring up at the ceiling, fists clenched tight with a piece of wood in his mouth his jaw clenched tightly around it, bracing himself. Then Orson poured the water on his wound and Adder snarled and growled in pain, Alice could hear the water on his skin fizzing as it cleansed his wound before it rapidly began to heal, the skin knitting itself back together again and closing up the wound, all the while Adder was snarling and writhing in agony before he eventually spat out the piece of wood in his mouth and cried out in pain, eventually calming down and laying back down on the altar, panting heavily. 

“Okay… Now explain.” Alice said nervously as she watched what unfolded before her “Because that isn't normal!”  
“You're right, it isn't normal… for you anyway”  
“I have so many questions”  
“And not enough time to answer them all” Adder replied groggily as he carefully sat himself up “All you need to worry about is being safe, let us worry about the monsters and demons”

Alice blinked and furrowed her brows at Adder, disliking his arrogance and cocksure attitude, she straightened herself out and stood in front of him, jabbing her finger into his chest. 

“I'll stop worrying when they stop chasing me and so far the only one protecting me is Orson. So you're not doing a good job” Alice snapped  
“And you’re not my concern right now” Adder replied as he swatted her hand away “My concern is making sure those monsters don’t cause this world to go tits up”  
“Yeah? Well from what I am hearing, it sounds like I am key to all that, so I am your concern your majesty!”  
“Alice!” Orson warned  
“I just want Answers!”

Her voice travelled through the corridors of the church, echoing in the empty chambers before it fell silent again. Adder looked at her sternly and then stood up, towering over her to assert his position and to intimidate her but he didn’t know Alice as well as Orson did and she wasn’t one to back down easily or in other words she was stubborn. Adder took a deep breath, stood straight and stretched his neck a little.

“You want answers? Okay I’ll give you answers, this world is littered with creatures of the damned, ready to drag it into the depths of hell through any means possible and most of the time these bastards do it through devouring souls, raising the dead or just by going on a killing spree and giving us all a headache, which is where we come in, we ensure the dead go peacefully and that those soon to depart this world are accounted for and collected by us. We ensure the balance of life and death is in check and we keep the demons away from your doors. You’re probably wondering how a reaper is born right?”  
“Possibly?”  
“When a reaper is about to die, they pass on the scythe to the last soul they take and with every Reaper it is passed to, a piece of their soul or essence or whatever you want to call it, is captured in the scythe and the scythe moulds itself to the new reaper, it also means the scythe is cursed, so when you’re hit by your own blade the curse kinda strips you of your healing abilities”  
“Why?”  
“Because you’re an idiot for letting it get into the wrong hands. It’s a punishment, a lesson and a reminder that we are not immortal. Holy water cleanses the wound and lifts the curse because in a way we beg for forgiveness from the higher beings.”  
“So where is your scythe now?”  
“In the hands of the enemy but in about an hour it will be useless to them. They won't be able to touch it without the scythe incinerating their hands. Handy little safety feature but the problem will be finding it and if I know the banished, they will have it somewhere in their lair, displayed as a trophy, which leaves me defenceless”  
“Oh great so not only do you lose your weapon, it's in the hands of those coming after me and you’re the one telling me not to worry when you DON’T KNOW WHERE YOUR DAMN SCYTHE IS!”

Adder growled and squared himself up to Alice before quickly turning his attentions to Orson, giving him a menacing look

“Keep your prophet under control Orson” He growled  
“Hey don’t you lash out at him!” Alice responded “He brought you here to heal you”  
“She has a point Master Reaper Adder”

Adder huffed and then straightened himself out, grabbing his jacket off the floor and pulling it back on, clearly annoyed and frustrated by the fact that he let himself get hurt and in the process he lost his scythe to someone who betrayed him. He should have seen it coming but he was far too busy focusing on the obvious. He hated being wrong when he was the man leading the reapers and he hated making mistakes.

“They know that scythe will be a lure to us” Adder said “And they know I can’t go after them without it. Which means I will be risking the lives of a few good reapers in order to retrieve it”  
“Don’t you dare!”  
“I’m sorry Alice but I’m going to need his help” Adder responded  
“I need him!”  
“I will look after you in his place” Adder reasoned

But Alice refused, despite their problems, her and Orson had managed to develop a bond, they had got to know each other better and after the countless times he had saved her life, she was starting to trust him, she couldn’t lose him now, not to those demons that plagued her both in her dreams and in life. She needed him.

She backed herself away from Adder slowly before she felt herself bumping into someone. She turned her head to see a tall, thick set man standing behind her, he looked at her and her eyes grew wide in shock. He had white eyes and white hair. He was one of the banished and she had a gut wrenching feeling he was the one they called polar. Muscular, tall, strong jaw and short white hair that was styled into a mohawk. She was about to scream but he quickly covered her mouth with his giant paw of a hand.  
“You’re not looking after her very well” He said cooly  
“POLAR!” Orson shouted

He tugged the lapels of his jacket, causing it to form into his Scythe. He grasped it tightly and was about to lunge at him but Polar had other ideas.

“Come near me and I’ll break her pretty little neck!”

Orson was forced to stop in his tracks as Polar looked at them with a sick grin on his face, triumphant in his attempts to outsmart The master and his seemingly new apprentice.

“Why is it you always choose the over zealous ones to be your understudy?” Polar asked, sarcasm lacing the tone of his voice. “You remember what happened to the last one, so unfortunate that he ran into his own blade and lost his head”

Alice struggled under his grip, her distress was making Orson angrier and angrier, if he acted he could end up killing her and potentially himself in the process and Adder couldn’t do anything given his current predicament.

“Take me” Adder offered “That way you’ll have me and the Scythe and you’ll leave the Reapers powerless”  
“As tempting as it is….I don’t think so, this one is going to lead us to glory and since we have your scythe, there is nothing you and your little bitches can do about it, you may as well say goodbye to the world you know because as of this moment, the world belongs to the banished.”  
“Not if I can help it!” Orson snarled  
“ORSON DON’T!”

The red mist had descended, it was his prophets life that was in danger and he swore to protect her, he was damned he was going to fail her now. He shifted and appeared behind Polar but as he was about to swing his scythe, Polar quickly intercepted by grabbing Orson’s throat and lifting him off his feet.

“Oh you’re a brave one!” Polar growled as he tightened his grip, causing Orson to choke “You gave me scars already but you’re a challenge...so I’ll spare you this time”

He launched Orson across the church, causing him to crash into one of the arches, cracking the masonry. Orson was winded but he got back to his feet, shaking off the dust. He shifts again but once again Polar is quick, he grabs Orson’s arm, dislocating his elbow and shoulder, causing the reaper to scream in pain before smashing him into the hard floor, again and again until Orson ceased to get up but despite the pain his body was in he still tried to get up.

“Stay down boy!”

Orson chuckled weakly

“You’re not my boss”  
“Fair enough”

He smashed Orson’s head into the floor one more time, this time he wasn’t getting up again as Alice screamed for him to get up but Orson couldn’t hear her. Polar then glanced up at Adder with a twisted grin on his face.

“The world belongs to the Banished. Don’t come running pretty boy”

Alice reached out to Adder to save her but as the master reaper ran towards her, Polar smoked out with her. They got what they wanted and now the world was plunged into turmoil.

“FUCK!”


	10. The Fallen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Banished have what they need to topple the balance and over throw the reapers but Orson develops a new skill and unintentionally reveals a new deadly threat to the reapers and their plan to save Alice.

The world had fallen dark and quiet once again, the eye of the storm inside a persons mind, as it sits in a limbo state as if it was a computer in standby, waiting for a trigger to breathe life back into it, that trigger can be anything from sound, light or temperature and once it’s triggered there will be a relentless stream of flashbacks. 

Orson was no stranger to this, the world fell silent once Polar slammed his head into the church floor, darkness and silence combining to make a calm yet eerie state and that state lasted, what only felt like a mere few seconds before he felt the cold seep in, rousing him to a brilliant white light shining down on him and that’s when they started. The flashbacks, playing out one after another, after another, quick two second glimpses and for Orson these two second glimpses were of the event leading up to this, being chased out of the subway, Adder being hurt and having to be treated on Holy ground, Alice being snatched by Polar and then the last flashback, the one that was sure to wake him up, Polar slamming his head into the ground and the moment his head was thrust to the floor, Orson woke up screaming, his vision hazy as he feels a pair of hands push him back down. 

“GET OFF ME!” He snarls, unable to recognise who it is. 

“Orson it's me, its Adder!” Came the distinctive English voice “We brought you back home”

Orson starts to calm and takes a moment for everything to sink in. Polar had Alice and Adders scythe, that left the reapers vulnerable and weak and the underworld strong enough to alter the balance of life and death. The reapers had no plan of action but Orson could feel a burning rage in the pit of his stomach, one that would drive him to do whatever it took to stop the banished and get Alice back, even going against the orders of Adder if it came to it. 

As his vision returned, he noticed that home wasn't Alice's home, it was Home for Adder and his unit, the place they call “The sanctuary” an abandoned warehouse filled with empty freight containers that have been converted into individual rooms, each one occupied. One of those rooms belonged to Orson, it was understated, simple and fresh. The walls painted a pale grey throughout, with one black feature wall next to his bed, wooden oak flooring under foot and black wooden surfaces in the kitchen and main sitting room. It was kept neat and tidy but it had been awhile since he last stayed in his own room.

“So the wanderer returns finally?” Came a broad Scottish voice from within the kitchen “I was beginning to think if old briefcase here had forgotten who we were”

Adder rolled his eyes as the other man walked out of the kitchen holding a tray with three mugs on it. He was tall, messy short dark brown hair and earthy brown eyes. His face was slim, yet well proportioned, his defined cheekbones complimenting his slim face perfectly and the thick stubble along his jawline and neck added a certain rugged charm to him. His name was Duke, another reaper of the unit and ironically the reaper who was brought in at the same time as Orson.

“Here we are in the shit and you still find the time to poke fun at your rival.” Adder snaps

“Oh I wouldn’t call him my rival! He’s my brother! Ain’t that right briefcase?” Duke replied with a grin on his face, knowing damn well his pet name for Orson would spark a reaction.

“Keep calling me briefcase and I swear I will ram that tray down your throat” Orson growls

“There he is! Right let’s all have a cup of tea, the world maybe fucked right now but all amazing world saving plans come from a cup of tea”

“Please tell me you are joking!” Orson pleaded

“I’m not...Guaranteed wherever there are brits fighting, someone is brewing some tea right in the middle of a firefight and they always win. So shut up and drink some tea”

Duke’s methods in calming a situation down were not what you would call conventional but it gave them the pause they needed to get their heads together and figure out a plan but while Duke and Adder occasionally argued over some ideas, Orsons mind began to wander, thinking of the numerous awful things the banished could be doing to Alice, he didn’t want to go treading down them dark paths but he couldn’t stop his mind from going there, creating awful images of Alice being tortured and screaming out in pain, he prayed she was safe, prayed that her skill would be her saving grace from the things the Banished could do but that’s when an Idea popped into his mind, from all the awful dark thoughts a ray of light.

“Every Prophet and every Reaper has a unique link….finding her might be easier than you think” Orson says

“That right there is fucking suicide pal. You don’t know what shit you’ll be walking into”

 

“Hang on Duke. He might be onto something” Adder replies, silencing Duke with a single look “Carry on Orson”

“Any Reaper been able to talk to their prophet via the link?”

“You mean telepathy?” Adder asks

“Yeah. The link allows us to sense where they are and find them in an instant, so surely it would make sense for us to be able to communicate with them in the same way?”

“Well no one has ever really ruled it out….or tried for that matter”

“Then I guess now is a good time to try”

“Whoa, whoa whoa, did that bump on your head give you brain damage or something, I mean sure, we’re reapers, we herd the dead and send them off on their merry way….we do alot of weird shit….but Telepathy? Are you insane?!” Duke exclaimed

“Crazy as it sounds, it’s the only option we have left” Adder replies before placing his cup back down on the tray “Orson you do what you gotta do to establish a telepathic link, Duke I need you to get the others back here”

“This situation is going to need more than Just Rusty and Angel, we’re going to need other units involved”

“IF the situation escalates. Polar only has the ingredients at the moment, if we start bringing in other units, The banished will get twitchy, so we need to try and keep this problem within New York which I know we can do”

“And if we don't?”

“Then we grovel”

Duke sighs heavily but he knows he can hardly argue, Outside intervention could lead to Polar and his horde getting jumpy which in turn could lead to a whole list of potentially bad scenarios for the reapers as a whole. He bowed his head and faded out as Adder began to leave Orson’s room.

“Adder wait….If this fails…..I have a plan B” Orson says as he sits up on his bed.

“And what is Plan B?”

“.......I become the bait”

“Not happening Orson. I can’t afford to lose you too….this unit needs you”

“And Alice needs me”

“Then you better hope you can make that link work for you because where you go, we go”

Orson sits in silence as Adder leaves his room, for once leaving him with the thoughts that manifest in his head, dark thoughts that make the situation worse, that fill his heart with dread as it feeds his fear but in order to reach Alice, to establish a link, he would need to fight those thoughts, force them to the back of his mind and hope none of them have come true.

He takes a deep breath in and exhales slowly as he focuses his mind, thinking of Alice’s key features, her scent, her smile, her voice and her spirit, everything that makes her who she is. He remembers the day they met, the storm that broke while she wept, the way his heart broke when she told him her tragic story, the fact he had to take her home when she fell asleep in the cafe booth. That first meeting was what established the link between them and as he remembers the events of that day, he could feel the link between them grow strong, sensing that she is scared, terrified in fact, she isn't hurt thankfully but he does detect that she has been restricted.

At this point Orson would have faded to her but he knows that would be like kicking a hornet's nest and could lead to certain death, so he would need to try the unthinkable. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as he connects to his inner voice, the voice that speaks the thoughts that shouldn’t be spoken, the inner monologue that becomes your best friend in those lonely times, the voice that would hopefully travel across the link to Alice.

“This is crazy” He mumbles to himself as he does his best to silence the world outside

Once he was comfortable, he began.

“Alice…..can you hear me?” The Inner voice began

He paused, waiting for a response but all he got was silence. He furrowed his brow and took a deep breath, trying to focus himself harder.

“Alice it’s me, Orson are you there?” He calls again.

Again he pauses, waiting for a response but still getting nothing. He sighs heavily, thinking that his attempt was another failure but then he hears a voice coming back.

“Holy shit you’re in my head!” Comes Alice’s voice, higher pitched than normal and panicked “Please tell me it’s you Orson, please tell me I’m not going insane”

“You’re not going insane. It’s me and another of my reaper abilities. Describe what you are seeing right now” Orson asks

There is a moments pause as Alice takes in her surroundings, noticing white eyes all around her, guarding her as she lays strapped to a hospital gurney, old machines hooked up to her, beeping loudly with a bright surgical light over head. As she looks around she notices doors not too dissimilar to Prison bars but they are rusted, the metal peeling off them while some of the banished guards walk across the platforms over head.

“I think I’m in an abandoned prison….I’m surrounded by guards, I’m hooked up to machines and I’m strapped to a hospital gurney or something” Alice replied, her voice shakey “They call this place the pit”

Orson’s brow furrows, he had heard of that name used before by the banished, a place they would take their victims for torture and torment.

“Can you see Adder’s scythe?” Orson asks her

Alice looks around and can see the Scythe being displayed proudly over a throne, a throne seemingly made with bone and flesh stripped from the deceased, she could feel sick starting to rise from her stomach but she knew she had to hold it back

“It’s hanging over a Throne…..which I think is Polars” She replies Shakily “Orson...I don’t know what they want from me, I’m scared…..”

“Hold on for me Alice, we’re coming” Orson replies

He opens his eyes slowly, re-adjusting to his surroundings, that’s when he feels a wetness under his nose. He reaches up and dabs the skin underneath his nose, he checks his fingers and noticed the deep crimson fluid that oozed from his nose while he was communicating to Alice via the link.

“.....Shit” He whispers before he pinches his nose to stem the bleeding.

He goes to the bathroom and grabs a wad of paper, placing it under his nose to catch the blood, thankfully It only took a couple of minutes to stop the bleeding. He then rinses his face with cold water to wash the blood from his face and snapping him back into reality. The banished are displaying Alice like a trophy in the centre of their lethal residency, the pit feeds whatever horrors lurk in the mind of a mere mortal, monster lurk in the shadows, dead corpses litter the floor and the air within the pit is filled with the stench of death and yet they are showcasing Alice as trophy, taunting the reapers to try and rip her from their clutches, hoping they would fall for the trap, yet in the back of Orson’s mind he knew there had to be another purpose behind their sick ploy. In his anger Orson punches the mirror above the sink, causing it to crack.

“Hey, that’s seven years bad luck that!” 

Orson quickly turned his head to see Duke standing in the doorway of his room, holding his special mug that says “Not feeling very Talky today, off you fuck” It was bought by Adder and Duke really took to it.

“Did you get through?” Duke asked softly

Orson wiped his nose and stood up, straightening himself out.

“Yeah….they have her at the pit”

“Whoa, wait….nothing survives the pit” Duke replied

“I know...but they have her hooked up to machines, strapped to a gurney and displayed like a trophy. They’re taunting us with her and at the same time there’s something sinister going on, they know about her power”

“And they’re waiting on her to have a vision so they can set up a feast and lure us in..destroy us and consume her soul in order to overthrow the reapers and the balance, similar to last time”

“Only this time they got Adder’s scythe” Orson growled

“What about the reaper that turned on us?” Duke asked

“He’s probably a new member of the banished by now”

“If he becomes one of them...they can’t use the scythe, they know that..they’ll want to use them as a weapon, which means said reaper is in limbo and becoming their pet” Duke interjected “You better let the boss know because a reaper in limbo is dangerous, probably more dangerous than the banished themselves”

“Tell me about what?” Came the distinctive British voice as Adder pushed his way into Orsons room

“Well an excuse me would have been nice!” Duke muttered  
Adder shot him a look that seemed to silence Duke before he turned his attentions on Orson, noting the tiny blood stains on his shirt.

“Did you get through to her?” He asked

“Yes master reaper Adder”

“And?”

“She’s at the pit, being displayed like a trophy while your Scythe hangs over Polar’s throne. He’s using her to taunt us….but at the same time he’s waiting for her to have a vision in order for him to set up a feast and draw us out. Similar to last time….only he has your scythe and a Reaper that is stuck between good and evil and I have been informed that’s dangerous”

Adder’s eyes widened 

“We have to move. Fast. I should have killed that bastard when I had the chance” Adder growls

“What becomes of a reaper when they are in limbo? I need to know what I will be coming up against when I save Alice’s life”

Adder looks at him, his eyes growing dark as he stands before him, holding his gaze as he feels the rage in the pit of his stomach starting to rise.

“A reaper in limbo becomes unhinged and Volatile, they have no goal, no targets and no plan, they are chaos and they are worse, much worse than the Banished, at least the Banished plan….but they don’t. Do you know what we call them Orson?” Adder asks through gritted teeth

Orson shook his head

“The Fallen”


End file.
